The new 70-300mm II A-mount lens will finally ship on February 20 at BHphoto (Click here) or February 24 at Amazon (Click here). The lens has been announced back in late November along the A7II.
And A-mount camera owners should know that two more “Updated” A-mount lenses will be shown at CP+ in February:
152 Responses
BUT A-mount is DEAD! It’s DEAD!
Must be typos, these cannot be A-mount lenses, they totally must be an E-mount lenses because…
A-mount is dead!
A-mount is dead!
A-mount is dead!
A-mount is dead!
….
oh, I’ll better shut the f*** up and go shoot myself in a head instead of leaving all these comments about A-mount being dead.
the most stupid coment of all times
maybe, lets than change it and say,
a-mount is on decay, and that is a fact no one can refute, nor that no one can say it is true. We all don’t know, but the lack of acvtivity in a-mount and aps-c bodies shows us clearly the way they go.
Second most stupid comment of all time.
Lol, what a bunch of nonsense. So, we know or we don’t? And the last a-mount camera was released less than a year ago.
You did notice the “Trolololololo” name, didn’t you?
Yes, these a A-mount lens,
But they are design for fast AF on mirrorless camera with adapter (without mirror).
Any proof?
Something’s got to go on the adapters…
Who cares. The Tamrons are better and cheaper. And as Sony has some investments in Tamron, it’s extremely unlikely they’ll introduce any incompatibilities in the newer lenses.
I tried the 70-300 USD and was unimpressed – slow focus and so-so IQ. It’s an upgrade over the usual 2 lens kit zoom, but I got far more pleasing results out of my beercan.
You got one of the bad copies probably. There was a whole series of this lens with some issue on manufacturing stage. All were unsharp, especially at long focal length, and some got issues with AF. You could recognize them by serial number. I got one like that too, but asked shop to swap it over and a new copy was very good, surprisingly sharp, no issues with AF, IMHO it’s the best tele zoom in terms of quality to price.
The equivalent Tamron is very good, but certainly not better. Also, the price of the original 70-300G is going down in many countries, so the Tamron will end up being not much cheaper.
Got excited at headline, and then saw it was for A-mount.
Which should cause you to be EVEN MORE EXCITED! As there’s so few releases of anything A-mount from Sony…. seems like Tamron and Sigma are doing much better job caring about A-mount userbase than Sony itself does. lol
Tamron and Sigma do it because they are very similar to their Nikon and Canon glass, and there is still twice as many choices for A-mount lenses as their is for E-mount. I regret not jumping at the A77II Christmas sale, I ended up going the other way and getting an APS-C Nikon to compliment my E-mounts, now I am super spoiled by lens choices and cheap used lenses.
I use to use the series I lens and it was a gem. Very light and it had lovely image quailty. I hope they have added weather sealing as that would me it a very good lens to own.
Si
If they are letting those lenses now , they could make them so they will be compatible with PDAF e-bodies without LA-EA2/4. Now that would make a lot of sense.
Most likely they’re releasing a FF body to back up these new updated a-mount lenses. Wouldn’t make sense to release these alone. The a99 will be hitting a 3 year mark like the Canon 5Dmk3. Also makes sense for a replacement body
Totally agree but I don’t think the next A mount FF body will be a game changer just an slightly updated A99. I think there is to much focus on the A7 series and the up and coming A9 mirrorless.
Si
And you know this based on what?
I think he bases his comment on what we all see. Just look what happens.
Sony makes 2 major faults, the first is not to develop camera bodies for the a-mount, not to inform us in a clear way if they want to keep it up or not, and second is to neglect APS-C camaras and lens development. The new A-7000 is not sure, and lenses we wait long time for like the new 20 mm pancake for this format do not appear. A smaller mirrorless ILS camera in 1 inch would make sense to. This eternal development only on FF A7 cameras and there F4 lenses starts getting boring.
None of that makes any sense or has nothing to do with the release of the A99II. Verbal diarrhea.
I base it on all the posts I have seen on this blog and elsewhere, it is called an educated guess and not verbal diarrhea. Save your insults for someone who might give a damn please.
Si
So you’re just repeating third hand speculation by know nothing bloggers.
wow that is one big chip on ones shoulder, how about respecting other peoples views rather than being rube and abusive, sounds like it might make a fresh change for you?
Si
All I asked was for you to validate statements made in a declarative manner. It’s know as peer review, if you find that abusive you need to grow a thicker skin Si.
My skin is very thick I just do not think you have to be rude to get the point you have just made across. I was offering my opinion based on what I have read, I did not say it was right or wrong.
Si
It’s either going to be a similar situation to the a7ii or it’ll feature whatever sensor ends up in the a9. Sony did say that they weren’t doing incremental a-mount upgrades any more (after the a77ii’s ‘disappointing’ sales), so my guess is it’ll be the latter.
In Sony’s last interview they suggested the next A-mount body will be more of a radical update, which probably why they’re not rushing it out.
I suspect a lot of questions about the A-mount future direction in relation to E-mount will be answered with the new A-mount bodies.
Very true, and considering all the lens updates are for speed & accurate AF (SSM II), weather sealing, and reduced ghosting, and if the A77II is any indicator, Sony seems to be optimizing the line-up to better support the needs of sports photographers — a welcomed change!
Same as my thoughts,
Recently, all the Sony’s move are to push the sell of e-mount FF.
Consolidate their position in mirrorless market.
This is their highest priority now.
..
These new lens won’t able to attract Cankon guy to jump ship to a-mount.
But if these fast zoom lens can AF fast on A7ii / A9 without SLT mirror.
It does help e-mount widen their lens lineup.
Sony is releasing updated versions of thier old A mount lenses..apparently with new motors.
The two obstackle to being compatable on E mount with non laea4 adaptor are the size of the focus elements, and the incompatability of the motor.
It would totally make sense for Sony to simply desighn a new motor capable of moving these larger elements at the speed of the stepper motors in current E mount lenses therefore allowing full AF compatabilty via simple adaptors..and while they are at it they can possibly also lighten the focusing elements.
It would make sense for Sony to do this, but I do not know if they are doing this.
Or if it is possible at all. If it was only a question of “simply” constructing a new motor and “possibly” making the focusing elements lighter, I doubt it would have taken them until now to make most, if not all of their A mount lenses mirrorless-compatible. What we know, though, is that even Olympus, which have the longest experience in trying just that, managed to redesign only very few of their DSLR lenses to achieve CDAF-compatibility, without them ever becoming anything like fast, and that they finally needed to include full-blown PDAF capabilities on the sensor to successfully combine a Micro Four Thirds camera and Four Thirds lenses.
They needed to switch from the Sony-made E-M5 sensor to an otherwise very similar Panasonic sensor, though. If you ask me, that’s the path Sony should have chosen (and still should choose), too.
To achieve this using only a new motor would require an extremely fast, powerfull and lightwieght motor, and I am not sure if they are able to build that currently…if the can build it it might use too much battery power.
To lighten the focus elements probably involves redesigning the lenses.
So this is a more difficult task than just slapping a new motor on an old lens.
Furthermore…since new higher res cameras are coming out Sony must also improve the resolution and performance of the updated lenses.
Rubbish!
I agree that ospdaf is far from the best choice for mirrorless system…it was however probably the best choice when first introduced…the problem with being the first is that you then become the oldest.
Probably cost (maybe size & weight too). The Canon 85L is in the same boat reference moving large optics around slowly. Canon’s Chuck Westfall said publicly at its release that the 85L mkll would have cost twice as much if it’d have been a fast focusing design.
Canon has dual pixel..unlike ospdaf this can also determine what direction the focus needs to move so the lens does not need to hunt. Lenses for thier mirrorless system will not require stepper motors like Sony does.
Dual pixel A/F isn’t a magic bullet, we see that on the C100mkll.
Canon claims they will take over leadership of the mirrorless market begining in 2016 and by 2017 will be the leader.
My speculation on how they plan to do that is to anounce thier first ff mirrorless camera using 50mp sensor and dual pixel before xmas 2015.
This will take one of 3 forms..current Canon dslr mount, currrent Canon mirrorless mount, or hybrid mount.
If not dslr mount then an extension tube like adaptor to the dslr lenses will be available.
This is actually consistant with the Sony made dual pixel 50mp rumor recently posted…and the new Canon SLR uses Canon sensor.
Dual pixel is rumored to be in the new apsc mirrorless camera Canon may anounce as soon as next week.
I do not think this new mirrorless camera is Canons serious attempt to control the mirrorless market..instead I think Canon is still perfecting thier system in preperation for an all out assault on the mirrorless market possibly late 2015 or early 2016.
So Canon will be starting out almost a year behind the competition, hardly a way to take over leadership. More like wishful thinking or compete BS.
You can ONLY …TAKE OVER LEADERSHIP… if someone else already has it.
As I said earlier…Sony WAS the first NOW they are the OLDEST.
The only thing they are taking over is Barrys easily influenced mind. Don’t be a lemming Barry.
Canon always been doing that. They never were on the edge of most creative things. We’re on a SAR forum, you should know the lesson from the history of Minolta – the most innovative companies never are these with most sales or most profits.
Do you buy a camera based on sales or performance.
I buy a camera based on it’s performance as a whole – with system, lenses, accessories, flashes taken into account. And in this regard Canon is miles ahead of Sony. The only reason why I got Sony is because of A-mount Zeiss glass, otherwise I can’t recommend it to anyone, especially E-mount with it’s pathetic offering.
Too many politics at play within Canon. Look at the video DSLR success they had with the 5D2, they killed it dead with a lackluster 5D3 in order to introduce their Cinema line of cameras. You really think the same Canon “political suits” would allow a truly innovative mirrorless camera like A7x into the marketplace, one that’d compete with DSLR sales. If they did, it would have to go head-to-head with the A7S and that aint going to happen with the C100 mkll sitting there at five and a half grand.
If I were to bet on this super-duper mirrorless camera actually happening, I’d bet on Nikon doing it rather than Canon.
“Too many politics at play within Canon.” – Exactly the same problem Sony got.
The difference being……………………… Sony actually stepped-up and made the A7x.
With whole series selling in lower numbers than 5D mkIII did in it’s first month.
Canon will step up in upcoming generation of camera, worry not. Competition is healthy.
Sure, I was one of the masses who bought, used and loved the 5D3, it was my daily work camera. It was a crap upgrade in two areas though when compared to my 5D2. The first was focusing with an 85L as you couldn’t put a course focussing screen in it and audio for video was terrible, no improvement over my 5D2. Little evolution in the 5D3. The C100 became the better option by design. So we simply went out and bought the Sony’s for video…………..
there are a few interesting comments in here from an internal canon employee who did an “ask me anything” on reddit late last year. he doesnt sound very optimistic about how canon goes about things http://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/2gm5lh/i_work_for_canon_ama/
Ask anyone who paid $3300 for the 5DM3 if they are happy with their purchase. It was a lackluster performer at best, with the worst sensor of any full frame camera.
Spot-on! The A7R sensor was actually a better performer even with Sony’s compressed RAW (twawkin’ to U Anton Berlin).
I know noone who would buy 5D mkIII and would be unhappy with it.
Interesting that you mention Nikon
With lots of new rumors flying everywhere I am hearing almost nothing about what Nikon is up to.
I would definitely like to know what Nikon plans are for high megapixel camera.
Nikon actually achieved something interesting with the D800x, they managed to get a nice video signal out of a 36mp sensor, one that’s much improved over the A7R. The D800x is actually a great multi-media camera, IF you can live without an EVF.
Plus, Nikon are ready for a modern mount, Ai mount is all over the place (as is Sony’s A-Mount). Nikon have no video division to protect either, win-win for them.
Canon can claim whatever it wants. Fact is that mirrorless market is irrelevant in grand scope of things. People here are a very specific, but tiny group of people. In a whole market as such even rapidly shrinking P&S compact outsell mirrorless by enormous amount and some predict that sales of P&S might settle down above current level of mirrorless sales anyway. Large sensors are coming in to compacts too, and these are really blasting the floor under mirrorless (look: Sony X100 series or Fuji X100 series).
Point & Shoots are mirrorless and already come with a multitude of different sensor sizes. All that’s happening here is we’re adding an option to change the lens. It’s called evolution and its really happening.
LOL, listen to me……..
Canon dual pixel is On Sensor Phase Detect Autofocus, are you intentionally confusing the issue?
Dual pixel is a new technology and still being further developed.
I do not think the current uses of this technolgy are indicative of its full potential or future uses…of course this is all my own speculation..based on the limited information available..and you are free to make different guesses.
In fact I would be interested in hearing your speculation
My point is that the Canon dual pixel focus method is On Sensor Phase Detect Auto Focus. You are incorrect to refer to it as anything but.
Well, it’s quite unconventional type of OSPDAF, one that goes beyond what regular OSPDAF can do. Still though performance isn’t as good as it might have been – Canon never was a master of on-sensor focusing.
The phase detect focus error signal is generated on the sensor. Which makes it OSPDAF. This method will eventually replace the current conventional phase detect focus system which must be calibrated for each lens to achieve full accuracy. And then only at the focal length used for the calibration. On sensor detection is more accurate.
“The phase detect focus error signal is generated on the sensor” – any proof of that? Cause I haven’t seen anything like that ever being said by Sony.
“This method will eventually replace the current conventional phase detect focus system” – that’s not going to happen. Dedicated PDAF sensors receive more light than OSPDAF and OSPDAF will get less and less light as pixel size becomes smaller and smaller. Right now every camera on a market using OSPADF switches to pure CDAF in low-light conditions while DSLRs can still use their PDAF sensor. Even Nikon 1 which uses whole rows of PDAF sensors and got quickest OSPDAF of any mirrorless cameras needs to use CDAF alone in low light.
“which must be calibrated for each lens to achieve full accuracy” – usually though it’s fine, and if anyone wants – service can calibrate lens to body. In either case though – theoretically you could use CDAF to calibrate PDAF. Yea, it’d require flipping mirror up and down probably more than once, but it’s doable. Though it never been much of a concern for manufacturers anyway. Pixelpeepers moan more about it on a forums than it’s worth in real life.
“The phase detect focus error signal is generated on the sensor” – any proof of that? Cause I haven’t seen anything like that ever being said by Sony.”
If you had even a rudimentary grasp of how phase detect focus works you would realize just how stupid that question is. Dito for all the rest of your idiotic rant, you’re as inept as AnimalsBarry on this subject. He must be your mentor and keeps you serially misinformed.
lol mr.smartass again showing high level of argumentation.
Clarify your point.
Which of the following do you claim dual pixel can or cannot detec
In or out of focus
Amount in or out of focus
Distance to move lense to achieve focus
Direction of lens movement to achieve focus
God you’re dumb.
High level of argumentation. lol
You made a comment…which I thought was a serious comment.
I am trying to understand what you are saying so I can learn something from what you said.
I asked you specific questions to better understand your comment.
” God you’r dumb ” is not an answer.
If you actually are making a legitimate comment then please answer as much of the question as you can so we can learn something.
Particularly the part about direction of travel.
” Canon on sensor dual pixel cmos af achieves continuous autofocus on most ef lenses”
Direct from Canons own website…they are reffering to thier video cameras that currently utilize dual pixel.
Only Problem is that Dual Pixel is not very good…..Nice idea…Currently rubbish…
They’re probably rather hoping that the PDAF in the E-mount bodies become good enough such that no hybrid mode is needed anymore.
Hybrid mode offers advantages depending on the situation, it would be unwise to do away with it. Combining the two methods is superior to either one alone.
For the 70-200 and 70-400mm, they simply added a new coating and the ssm2 motor. SSM2 is trickling out to the other SSM lenses now. You can test it out right now on an e-mount camera.
I have often stated that the current E mount system is totally useless to me.
Therefore I do not own one to try it out on.
If you are able to do the test you suggest please let us know how they work without the laea4.
Put up your own money and rent one, you won’t trust anyone else’s word unless they are singing to your choir. In my tests with the ea4′ it worked as good as an a99.
The SSM II updates have more to do with being able to take advantage of new AF tech going in forthcoming A-mount bodies which are prioritized for speed & responsiveness.
What will you say when the A99 replacement arrives and it’s more video-centric where upgrades are concerned Barry?
E-mount is dead lol hahahahaha
oh i mean A-mount lol
Oh wait I mean e-mount is dead lol…. dead in the water 🙂
oh I am dead…
I’m dead cause I bought e-mount. lol
Where are the FE lens ? I’m a ex-Canon buyer. I have bought the A7R and now I’m wainting some 2.8 of faster zoom lens for this platform!!! where are they ?
Shouda kept your Canon glass. We who were early adopters of the A7x knew what glass was in the pipe-line 18 months down the road. Due diligence and all that before you buy into any new system………….
I did keep my Canon glasses and Cameras. (Anyways, old camera have more value in my hand than on the used market).
But, the facts is that Sony should came with high quality lens, if they want us to keep buying their products. I actually use my A7R with old lenses. I have 1 FE lens. But since I bought the A7R, I find my self buying more very old MF lens than anything else.
You need to try the new FE glass for yourself, ignore the commenters who decry it. It’s all very high quality, equal to my Canon glass, smaller, much smaller volumetrically speaking and corrected for internally if you shoot video. All my Canon glass is gone with zero-regrets!
I think you miss my point, it’s not about critique, because I can’t see any critique about some 2.8 zoom lens for the FE mount, because there zero lens with these specs.
Edit : or even 1.4/1.2 af-fe prime lenses!
Why do you want those? How often are you @ f/2.8 on a zoom? The image quality on the 5D3 is barely there wide-open on the superlative Canon zooms, all my Canon primes were lacking wide-open, my 85L was perfect @ f/2, as was the 24 & 35. The Canon 50L was a non-starter at f/2 because of focus shift.
The Sony FE zooms are different again, all are stunning wide-open @ f/4, sharp-sharp-sharp, if that’s what you want. The FE 1.8/55 is way better than my Canon 50L, it’s a beautiful lens. The FE 2.8/35 is like the Labrador of 35’s, very dependable. Again, what’s the fascination with fast zooms, they’re not that hot, even on a 22mp sensor. The A7R’s 36mp sensor would destroy them, none would be happy, everyone would be bitching. What Sony have done is given us lenses like the FE 4/16-35 that is critically sharp for reportage work, I’ll take that anyway over a huge f/28 zoom like I had in my Canon 16-35/2.8 that wasn’t that hot wide-open.
I get your point, I simply think you’re missing the point Sony’s glass guys are making here! All these FE lenses are stunning, maybe at their best wide-open, that’s cool.
I replied to you at length, but the comment is being moderated for some unknown reason…..
Why do you want those? How often are you @ f/2.8 on a zoom? The image quality on the 5D3 is barely there wide-open on the superlative Canon zooms, all my Canon primes were lacking wide-open, my 85L was perfect @ f/2, as was the 24 & 35. The Canon 50L was a non-starter at f/2 because of focus shift.
The Sony FE zooms are different again, all are stunning wide-open @ f/4, sharp-sharp-sharp, if that’s what you want. The FE 1.8/55 blew my Canon 50L out of the water, beautiful lens. The FE 2.8/35 is like the Labrador of 35’s, very dependable. Again, what’s the fascination with fast zooms, they’re not that hot, even on a 22mp sensor. The A7R’s 36mp sensor would destroy them, none would be happy, everyone would be moaning. What Sony have done is given us lenses like the FE 4/16-35 that is critically sharp for reportage work, I’ll take that anyday over a huge f/2.8 zoom, my Canon 16-35/2.8 that wasn’t that hot wide-open.
I get your point, I simply think you’re missing the point Sony’s glass guys are making here! All these FE lenses are stunning, maybe at their best wide-open, that’s cool.
2.8 lens are faster. My 2.8 lens fork great on my 5dII wide-Open (even a Tamron 24-70 VC) But i’m here for a small package. And my 1.2, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.8 lenses are also very good. enough good to that the fast speed compensate the very light softness.
Hey man, whatever works for you, that’s cool.
Why don’t you compare SAL2470z to SEL2470z. Both wide open, A-Mount one at f2.8, E-Mount one at F4, and you will see just how much better the A-Mount version is at f2.8, compared to E-Mount version at F4. If your f2.8 canon glass was worse at f4 than Sony glass at f4, then i should rethink my ideas about switching from A-Mount to Canon mirrorless when it comes to fruition.
Canon’s 24-70 f/2.8ll is way better than the Sony @ 24mm wide-open, but it is HUGE by comparison, plus the filter ring is plastic, a PITA for ND swaps. Nothing is perfect, you must find a compromise that works for your situation.
In that case I would use APSC with 2.8 zooms (Fuji, Samsung have great optics, here). If I want to stay at f4 with zooms and 2.8 for primes why should I use FF at all? I use FF with 2.8 zooms for events. Makes a difference with ISO values all the time. My Nikon zooms are very sharp wide open already. Going to f4 they are great, even usable on the D810.
Samsung are an interesting company, b@lls to the walls, nothing to loose on the video front either.
People who complain about FE glass tend not to have used the 55/1.8 and 16-35…
as well not the 4/70-200 and 2.8/35
Totally agree all the FE glass is excellent!
Lenses announced end of last year are due to ship next month. Will be a whole bunch more announced at CP+ which will ship mid year. Expect an 85mm fast prime to be announced for sure.
I’m waiting for than 😉
Have you tried LA-EA4?
And then I lost all the benefice of a small mirrorless system.
So you want 2.8 zooms, and now you’re talking about small mirrorless system. You do realize that a 2.8 lens will stay roughly the same size as a non-mirrorless lens. Its physics, can’t do anything about it.
a SAL70200G and SAL2470z will have an exactly the same size of a front element if made for FE cameras, so you might as well get LA-EA4 and get better AF as a result. Your gear size/weight will not change by much.
Yes, the front element will be almost the same, but not the length,
The length as well. Just compare SAL2470z, which is a 2.8 zoom on A-Mount, to SEL2470z.
f2.8 zoom is 111mm/4.4″ long
f4.0 zoom is 94.5mm/3.72″ long
And i’m sure the 2.8 zoom would be longer than f4 zoom, negating any length advantage listed above for f4 zoom.
And on top of all that, the A-Mount version, wide open at f2.8, wipes the floor with E-Mount version, wide open at f4
You ask for F2.8 lenses, people tell you to use the LA-EA adapter with A-mount lenses and then you complain about small form factor? What the…
Just to put this on perspective, the Fullframe SEL70200G is larger and heavier than the Canon 70-200mm F4 IS USM. Now imagine if Sony made F2.8 lenses for Fullframe E-mount. HUGE LENSES. And you said “then I lost all the benefit of a small mirrorless system”.
Having tested it myself I would say this is false. The a7s+laea4+lens is still a bit smaller and lighter than an a99+same lens, but here is the big benefit – modularity. When you need ultimate compactness, you can do it. When you need speed or greater lens choice, you can do it. This is the big benefit – customer modularity.
FE only makes sense with Loxia or vintage MF lenses. I swear by this statement. Outside of this- God help us all.
Keep waiting. It’s over in abandoned A mount land. Sony has one foot on one side of the fence…actually, at this point both feet are on the FE side of the fence. Their asss is still over on the other side. Ackward I know.
Why 16-35mm SSM? Why not 100mm Macro SSM? or 85mm SSM or 135mm SSM?
Without even going into discussing which focal lengths are the best suited I would argue that above a certain price all their lenses should be SSM. For my tastes the 135 is pretty perfect optically and has an outstanding construction but the lack of SSM and weather sealing have put off pretty much all friends that were hesitant to invest $1,700 in a lens.
I agree. I would buy one immediately if they refresh it with ssm, weather sealing and possibly the newer vr coating so long as the price doesn’t jump up by more than 10%.
With A77 II and 16-50 SSM it’s great trio to one bag!
Rather than those 85mm and 135mm should be updated
Totally agree
Why not produce it for E-mount?
LAEA
coming soon
Are you okay with huge lenses like those on E-mount? People will start complaining about the size and weight. There is no benefit at all.
Exactly. I’m getting a bit frustrated with my A7. It’s not because I don’t like it though. It’s because:
1) Wide angles suffer. No decent priced native wides. NONE. ZERO. NOTHING.
2) 35mm 1.4, 24-240, upcoming 85 we know is on its way…BIG BIG BIG.
3) Slow F4’s and at a premium price.
4) No dual card slots (come on sony). No freaking dual card slots. Am I the only one who looks at this and scratches their head? One camera Sony offers with dual card slots. ONE CAMERA. It’s maddening.
5) Incompetent AF. Can’t shoot a wedding with it that’s for sure. At least I wouldn’t.
It leaves me as a good hobbyist camera- which I love. But I got stuff for that. All the while A mount stuff sits with no lovin and cries out for 36MPs.
Why not also make A-mount versions of the new 90/2.8 G macro & Zeiss 35/1.4?
Given the (large) size of these two lenses, I guess they were originally designed for SLR anyway
Personally I don’t understand the interest in the 90/2.8 Macro, when there seems to be a very good and cheap 100/2.8 a-mount lens out there..
For the 35mm 1.4 I guess you can just buy a cheap A7 with the lens as an secondary/streetcam body or buy the A7r for high resolution anyway.
The upcoming FE 90mm F2.8 G Macro doesn’t seems to extend, has a in-lens AF motor and will probably have weathersealing. Such a lens in A-mount would be a great addition.
Doesn’t extend- minor work around.
in-lens AF- most anyone I know doing macro uses a tripod. If your doing composites later- TRIPOD.
Weathersealing- see lensrentals.com article on this. I call sham on it.
I think people just have to have a new lens and this one is it for macro users.
I completely agree. 90 2.8 is ZzzZZZZzz. Why why WHY would you spend that cash when you have the excellent 100mm 2.8. Your going to throw it in manual anyway.
What we really need right now from Sony are more E mount choices. E mount is where Sony’s future is. They should be putting every lens designer on more E mount…especially FF E mount lenses.
A mount is mature and already has plenty of support. This A mount stuff is a waste of Sony resources.
Cliff, remember, by design E-mount was never intended for the same type of professional photography one would shoot with A-mount, Canon EF or any established SLR-type mount. E-mount is too thin to natively support long lenses (300/F2.8), etc. and with the adapters, the the connection is wobbly. I wouldn’t be caught dead bringing using an $8,000 lens on one of those bodies.
This is probably why Sony has said again and again and again and again they are supporting both systems. E-mount is clearing prioritized at present for the same reasons you just mentioned.
If we did a poll of how many Professional photographers who shoot exclusively Sony work with A-mount bodies and glass, my guess would be percentage is around 90%. Updating all A-mount glass for Mark II and Mark III A-mount bodies is hardly a waste of resources.
I don’t get all the complaints about long lenses on E-Mount all the time. If you’re still holding the camera with a 300 f2.8 instead of the lens, you’re holding it wrong.(not the Apple way)
Lol.
Stv, well I hope you have one hand on the camera or else you’re not going to get any photos at all!
You always have one hand on the camera and one on the lens when shooting hand held, and mounting a heavy 300/2.8 or 70-200/2.8 to an E-mount body via adapters is problematic over time because it creates strain between body, adapter and lens that the mount wasn’t designed to support.
In fact, E-mount is so notoriously weak that there are 3rd party mount replacements for sale, intended to try and strengthen it.
If you want to mount $3000, $8000 or $12000 glass between an adapter & a thin, weak mount, be my guest.
I would really like to see a poll asking e-mount users whether this is really an issue for them or just some marketing stunt.
Only because there is a “tough” replacement doesn’t mean anything. You can create solutions to problems that doesn’t exist.
I want a “tough” flash hot shoe cap made of metal, because the plastic one is too weak.
Again, if you want to mount $3,000 – $12,000 glass to E-mount, nobody is stopping you. Sony makes adapters.
I hang my 135mm 1.8 off the A7 no problem. I really don’t get the big deal. The new A7II is reinforced. You could hang a freaking 600mm F4 off of it. Need more reinforcement…Sony will just add more screws. Problem solved (even though there isn’t any).
Would like a 300mm option for E-mount
I doubt that will ever happen. E-mount is physically too thin / weak to support the weight. if you want a sports lens, get an A-mount body. It’s what it’s there for.
I am an A mount guy but what you said about E mount is plain ridiculous. You can mount a 500mm f4 lens with the LAEA4 adapter. Works just fine.
The main reason Sony may not have launched any 300mm lenses is probably because for such lenses there won’t exist any size advantage over DSLRs.
Well, they better bring out more A-mount body’s then, the only APS-C choice now is the A77II, the A58 don’t count at all.
Chris, Sony’s made it obvious that A-mount is only being supported/continued for professionals, so it’s very doubtful we will ever see another body lower than A77II class be released for A-mount.
Thankfully, Sony produced an amazing camera in A77II. I own one myself and it’s definitely Sony’s fastest camera yet!
Brendon, it will loosen and break down in time. E-mount is notoriously weak — so much so that third party replacement mounts available to try and make it stronger.
There is no way you’ll get me mounting $8000 glass with an adapter between lens and body. The only case I would consider is shooting with the lens mounted to a tripod/monopod, but if you ever shoot sports like I do, you’ll know that isn’t always an option!
Better get an A-mount camera or use a LA-EA4. There is no benefit in size at all in offering a 300mm for E-mount.
Sony should have released a couple more A-mount bodies to attract consumers before releasing new lens. I’m not buying jack.
But when they release body and no lens, people complain ab out why body and no lens?
The A mount has plenty of great lenses – 85mm f1.4 CZ, 135mm f1.8 CZ, 24-70mm f2.8 CZ, 16-35mm f2.8 CZ, 70-200mm f2.8 G, 70-400mm f4-5.6 G, 500mm f4 G etc etc.
You may be confusing this with E mount which has precious few lenses.
There is no but in what I said. How many A-mount bodies are there currently to choose from for the past couple of years? Who buy lens when there is no exciting body to match with? Been to camera store lately? Canikon lenses sell because because there plently of bodies to support them from starter to professional shooters. It’s pretty dumb to built an extensive line of lenses just to cater one or two bodies.
A mount is awesome if you already use it. I get your point though. If you aren’t in the camp now the fire is hotter elsewhere.
FE HUGE LENSES…
Mounted directly on E-mount…
BROKEN FE HUGE LENSES…