By mid 2014 Sony will launch the new NEX-9 Full Frame camera and there will be a couple of Zeiss Full Frame E-mount prime lenses will be announced too. I have no specs yet but sources told me that both, the camera and lenses will be expensive. I have no info yet about the exact price but I got the feeling a Zeiss prime lens could be priced at around $2000 (or a bit less depending on the lens). I took a look at the current Zeiss Full Frame range for DSLR. Le’ts asusme they will release lenses with similar specs. Which one would you consider to buy if they make it for the NEX-FF system?
[poll id=”147″]
91 Responses
Comparing the Sony-Zeiss E 24/1.8 with the prices of the Zeiss E 32/1.8 and the 12/2.8, it is clear if it is Zeiss only, it will be relatively lower priced. No one actively seeks the Sony box or label- heck even Sony prefer the Zeiss label.
So, let us have real Zeiss made/labelled lenses. 🙂
Can’t really vote until I know whether I would want the camera! But if it all goes ahead and available lenses make it a viable proposition, then the 25mm would be the best option for me personally.
OVER PRICING by SONY at announcement time makes
Any purchase planning impossible
None. I already own a bunch of expensive Zeiss fullframe glass. I am just waiting for the camera.
Already have a bunch of A-mount FF lens, just give me a FF NEX at reasonable price.
What price would you consider reasonable for the FF NEX?
Hello.
If the NEX9 is full frame release, and if its price is $5000.00 for body, it is reasonable price. But please don’t let NEX9 fan wait and wait too long as leica M240 fan.
Good news is, in case there will be an E-Mount to E-Mount Speed Booster or Lens Turbo at least the expensive Zeiss FF-NEX lenses will also work with cheaper APS-C NEX cameras…
Admin, is this official or speculation?
Prophecy.
My advise is making more large aperture prime G Lenses and don’t rely on Zeiss too much. I think the middle price range lenses might help much more on the over-priced MIJ Zeiss. I believe the FF NEX should attract the hungry users to enjoy the Leica/Voiglander M lenses. If I were Sony, I might ask Olympus to make several FF lens for the E-mount system to shine the other systems away.
FF NEX body might sell well but only the minor group may enjoy the Zeiss due to the high price except the AF is exceptionally good. And the final reminder, let the HDMI output clean FullHD signal. Let the filmmakers addict to make movie from this camera. I am waiting for this day too long!
Have you ever tested the ZM 50 sonnar or planner , they are around 1k$ and trust me there is nothing like them not even summilux or summicron.
I would seriously consider the Nex FF before thinking of the lens.
Considering the job that Sony did for Nex7 which is only halfway what Canikon has done. Sony needs to convince me to part my $$ for the Nex FF before CZ FF Lens.
I think you are comparing Apples with Oranges.
I don’t own a Nex7. But considering the Nikon1 and mostly the EOS-M I would say that Canikon are the once that did things halfway. I tried the EOS-M and it’s a joke, nothing more.
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Agree The Nikon 1 and Canon Eos are complete Jokers – only the Pansonic M 4/3rd and Sony Nex are the serious contenders in the CSC World and I own the Canon & Nikon DSLR’s.
I’m not even considering any of those overpriced lenses, and will most likely skip the FF NEX altogether for pricing issues. I understand higher end niche market is where profit is, and so be it. But I belong to that part if the population that cannot justify 2K camera bodies, let alone lenses !! When I spend 1K on a camera I have to wait about two years before making another expensive purchase. Lenses in the 500 realm is ok, that’s why Sigma and Tamron must come to the rescue. Until then, I remain a heavy legacy lenses user on my 6 and 7 bodies.
Of course I’ll boy 15/2.8 if they are all 2000, ZM version costs 4600!
Perhaps only the f1.4 50mm, but for the rest I’d go straight for the f1.4 to f2.8 Minolta AFs on a pure cost benefit basis. Full set of full frame primes for peanuts from eBay, and even the rarer ones now turn up often enough that you can pick them up if you’re prepared to wait a month or so. Full metal construction as well.
Just don’t point them at the sun.
Any plans to make LA-EA4?
+1
Wow, there goes all the FF NEX supporters…
If everyone just buy the FF NEX Body, and use their existing lens.
Sony would probably lose tons of money.
But then again… the pricing is crazy and to mention the lens size probably would not differ too much from a-mount lens.
Sounds a lot like a lose-lose situation here.
Lastly, expect the FF NEX to be priced between $3000-$3500.
Guess that will kill even more supporters lol
What about all the A-mount users? You can almost smell their fear at the prospect of this camera, and their need to talk it down, predict its failure etc.
As an A mount user, I don’t have any urge to do that. Since a rational look tells me that Sony could still sell quite a few of these if the cameras and lenses perform. Just look at the RX1, which sold better than expected too, despite the huge pricetag (in absolute terms).
Fear? No. Indifference? Quite likely.
That’s no way to mark the price in the range at $3000 or plus. In China, the cheapest body set of VG900E is just $2500 USD. Let’s consider the FF NEX may remove the 5.1 channel stereo mic or just reserve a built-in EVF, the optimum price should be $2300 MAX. Please bear that FF NEX may not support Image Stablizer as same as the STL series.
Well street prices aside, and i’m going at MSRP.
FYI bhphoto is selling VG900 for $3100.
John:
Well, i’m just talking logic here.
i’m more worried about those blind FF NEX “supporters” more than anything else.
IF FF NEX releases mid 2014, go look at its full frame lens range, near to none.
So what are you left with?
Using crop lens on FF NEX in crop mode? like in VG900?
Paying so much for something you could have paid less for?
Look at Zeiss approach, they themselves do not even dare to commit to making lens for them until well into 2016? (1.5 years gap!!!)
And that is also dependent on whether FF NEX sells enough!
FF NEX will not have IBIS, its be dependent on OSS.
IBIS might give you 1-2 stop, but OSS can give u 3-4 stop.
Why are you guys insisting on IBIS? when canikon all does it on lens with better results.
Lastly, it will be $3000-$3500.
Why? cause they have to sell it as a kit, so that the buyer at least have a lens to start with.
Body alone would probably be $2700.
Fair points. I do feel this camera can succeed even without a lot of direct lens support coming from SONY.
E-mount took off in spite of only having the 16/2.8 and 18-55. Other makers like Zeiss and Sigma as well as the new SONY primes were only contributed as the system developed popularity.
I think many will be attracted because they have RF and alt glass, or even A-mount lenses and simply want other options to take advantage of fullframe.
It doesn’t matter if Sony release hardly any lenses with the fullframe NEX. It will still sell because *ALL* FF lenses will very quickly be compatible with it.
Anyone with several pro FF lenses will not worry about the cost of the camera because it is small when compared with the lenses.
I do not agree. Sony needs at least 2 quality primes that are small. A 28/2 and maybe a 50/2. F2 is a great focal length for small lenses. Imagine a Leica M9 with a Sigma 35/1.4 Art. The vision is ridiculous. Nobody wants a small RF sized body with a ginormous DSLR lens on it. Do what Fuji did. Come out with 2-3 primes and an M adapter. Fuji gave them the game plan.
Is it possible to add the OSS using a new LEA or should it be in the lens itself? Just a question.
A full frame overpriced Nex system will sell no better than the full frame SLT has.
The new Zeiss FF E-mount lenses are in ZA line or Touit line?
WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY ARE THEY OVERPRICING THEIR PRODUCTS!?!?!? REDUCE PRICE AND SELL MORE INSTEAD TO GAIN A MARKET SHARE!!!
Agreed!
Haha, yeah, right.
Couldn’t agree more!
Right, Zeiss should just become Rokinon.
Key issue here is, they are not selling enough to warrant down pricing the product.
Imagine if the cost of r&d and producing a FF NEX is $2000.
And they sell it at $3000 for 10,000 units = $30,000,000
Compared to $2500 for 12,000 units = $30,000,000
If that 2,000 units is unsold, its big problems to cash flow.
Now then, its sony and not canikon that would sure sell stuff even if its crap.
I’f gladly buy a $2000 NEX-9 Body and a $2000 Planar 50mm f/1.4 along with a $1,500 Biogon 35mm f/2 and a $2,500 Distagon 21mm f/2.8
My Canon 50L and 85L and EOS6D would be gone for good
NEX-9 might cost more than three grand!
I would be very much interested in a large sensor mirrorless camera — full frame or some similar size — but I cannot justify spending $6,000 or more on a body and 2 prime lenses. Not for the very tiny quality difference in a finished print compared to an APS or 4/3 chip camera with a mid-price zoom.
Within the last month I have bought an A99 and begun seeking out a set of lenses that fit my working style. By the time a FF NEX hits the market I should have a very good idea of how much my pictures might benefit from it, what lenses I really need, and how much I am willing to spend. It will be a serious chunk of money, but I am pretty confident Zeiss primes will not make my shopping list.
I might, however, spend $2,000 or even more on a quality 24-120 f4 zoom.
I am thinking now of the days when I started photography, when Leica was an acknowledged leader in image quality but was thought of as a toy for wealthy hobbyists — while we professionals made our living largely with ‘inferior’ but cost-effective Nikon and Canon.
Not at all interested in a FF Nex. Sony has the tech to make a FF alpha, with IBIS, and that’s what I want dammit! I’m not going to buy a whole new camera system.
Of course, what I meant to say is, Sony can make a FF mirroless alpha, and THAT’S what I want. Nothing else will do. Also, if they’re gonna charge top dollar for the zeiss 84 1.4, then the damn thing should have a faster and silent focus mechanism, and some upgraded optics – the old model is looking dated (same with the 135 1.8).
Captain Hindsight? 🙂
awesome
i choose none, as i really don`t like the fly by wire lenses.. i would get a FF body and just use it with good FF manual lenses which are far more fun to use and a lot smaller as well..
+1
50mm or 85mm f1 or 1.2
No, I already have Minolta MD 50mm f/1,2 for my NEX camera.
Whatever you guys say. FF NEX will sell good! Expensive – yes. IBIS – no way. Alpha – no way. DSLR size – no must be different. Critical will be lenses? Zeiss mid 2016 is too late. How is Sony gonna fix that?
That’s a common misunderstanding. Nex is actually part of Alpha. That explains why there is a huge alpha logo on Nex camera’s… 🙂
Expensive ???
Holy ………
To be clear, are these are referring to Zeiss designed and manufactured (in Germany) lenses of Sony Zeiss lenses. I assume that these are the former, in which case the animosity towards Sony is misdirected. Zeiss should, can and will price their lenses however they please independent of any thoughts of the success of a “system” as a whole.
Correction: “are these are referring to Zeiss designed and manufactured (in Germany) lenses OR Sony Zeiss lenses?”
I expect that they will be Zeiss designed but Sony made under Zeiss supervision, just as the A-mount Sony Zeiss lenses are. Are there any Zeiss-manufactured lenses for dslrs? The MF Zeiss lenses made for Canon & Nikon mounts are made in Japan under Zeiss supervision.
I believe these Zeiss MF lenses for Nikon and Canon are manufactured in Japan by Cosina.
The Zeiss lenses that contain floating elements are made by Zeiss the others are made by Cosina in Japan along with a number of other companies branded lenses
The Zeiss Touit lenses are built without Sony intervention, it seems that these are as well. My point is, if these are all Zeiss produced lenses (if not manufactured), the prices are set by them independent of Sony and it’s considerations for the system. Not that I think Sony would particularly care if they are priced high.
for me it is just a hobby and i don’t have unlimited fund. I would rather use the money to go travel and take more pictures with my nex 6. FF mirrorless vs Travel I will pick travel any day.
I can hardly wait for the FF NEX 9. I can’t even sleep!!! I think I’m going to camp out in front of Sony store and wait.
I already own three terrific Zeiss Alpha lenses, so it would make no sense for me to buy FF E-mount lenses if my Alphas will attach to the NEX-9’s hybrid mount.
Er.. No hybrid mount on a compact FF, I’m afraid!
Ummm… you’re wrong about that, I’m afraid.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-nex-9-ff-will-be-compatible-to-a-mount/
FF NEX will be very similar to VG-900. Meaning, you can use A-mount lenses with adapters.
If i’m not mistaken, the large Sony prototype camera we saw last is like a very large GH3. A camera with interchangable mounts, no mirror box, plus an FF sensor. Now if only Sony can downsize it into A77 dimensions (D7000 size would be better still).
So, this ‘hybrid mount’ camera is looking to be more and more like an evolution of the Alpha bodies. The ‘castration of the mirror box’ so to speak.
Lucky you! I hope the E part will accept other adapters as usual, including LA3.
It would make sense to buy them when they have a Zeiss badge.
I’m sorry Andrea, as much as I like your site, your polls sometimes don’t make any sense. What do you get out of these? It’s voting on double or triple speculation e.g. in this case Zeiss actually making the FF NEX lenses, their price, optical properties etc.
I think it will be more interesting to have e.g. a poll that would tell you (and us) more about the readers – A vs E mount shooters, hobbyist vs pro, street/wedding/studio/nature/landscape oriented etc. that way we learn about this community and you can use the results to better target your articles. Just a thought…
The polls are fun. They show us what people are interested in. And there is nothing to target here, Andrea is collecting and transmitting rumors.
I would definitely enjoy to see the results of the polls you suggested, though.
I currently owm a D800 and a RX100. Have been thinking of the next NEX7 or Fuji X- x2 as the RX100 is great but has no VF and the lens is not as great as the sensor. — FF NEX could replace th D800! At least for the photography I do.
One prerequisite is HQ lenses, the Zeiss involvement could secure that.
Some above complain over lens costs, but quality costs! Why in the world buy an expensive FF camera and then put LQ lenses on it?
Finally a FF mirrorless COULD be Sony’s chance to carv out a HQ camera segment where they can dominate over CaNikon.
They already do. Let me introduce you to NEX…
Sure, just add better sensor, (much) better lenses, wider system, more accessories, better support…
Already there. Simply because Canon and Nikon don’t have anything to offer.
Now that the speed booster is out and all. I feel that full frame is a little less needed…. I have alot of fast sharp F2 full frame lenses and they all work great.
Speedbooster is overrated.
Sounds like marketing.
In the short term at least, I will only use leica-m lenses or converted nikon lenses on the FF nex. I would not consider investing in dedicated glass until I had spent some time on the FF nex platform. At the moment the compact camera market doesn’t offer what I want and so I move from one to another until they provide it (m43 to Nex so far). If I keep a FF Nex for a year and love it, I might consider a native lens.
Sony had better be careful–Fuji, or even Samsung could release a FF mirrorless.
Or Leica. Wait… they did. But they didn’t sell any :-).
Considering quality of high end sigma 35mm I would like to see if they join the party with a 24 35 50 85 art series of full frame fast primes for nex. All those probably be the price of 1 Zeiss and 98% as good.
That’s what I’m talking about! Sigma Art line for FF Nex. I’m just going to wait and see. FF Nex needs to be pretty epic to ask more than $3k, and the lens needs to be smaller than FF DSLR lenses. If theses lenses are gigantic and off balanced on a NEX body, I will decline. If this body sells for more than $3k and a D800 still spanks it hard, I will decline. For that price, it better match the future D900.
Right now, I’m pretty happy with my apsc NEX 7. I don’t want anything much bigger. If I want the FF look, I’ll buy an RX1 or 2.
Seriously, used RX1 goes for $2100. FF NEX with a Zeiss for $5500? Easy choice.
> both, the camera and lenses will be expensive
So, Sony doesn’t want my money, either. Oh, well. 🙁
Bought a NEX-7 begin 2012, the roadmap then promised quality lenses for e-mount. There was 1 $ 1000.- Zeiss lens available, quickly outperformed bij the cheap 30mm Sigma. The roadmap at the end of 2012 was, quality e-mount Zeiss lenses in 2013, stuck to 12mm and 32mm, great but useless for me. Now the roadmap is, very expensive FX lenses in 2014.
There is a perfect APS-C camera, but no quality lenses and now FX lenses are announced, but no camera. These are useful rumors.
The Sony 50f1.8 and 35f1.8 are not good enough for you? Wow, tough crowd. You can get both for about $800. These lenses are pretty much as good as it gets at this price point.
Door for NEX-8 is still open: plain E mount, sensor of the 9, body of the 7, priced in between the two.
I closed the door a minute ago. Next Nex after Nex9 will be Nex1.
At $2K per FF lens, and $3-4K for the expected FF NEX, this news seals the deal. I’ll keep my E-mount lenses, pick up a $900 32mm Zeiss Touit, and the hopefully upcoming SONY NEX-7 replacement, whatever name they give it, but just not for any old & huge price tag SONY seems to be tying to its upper end things today. The new SONY CEO seems to have a praiseworthy marketing background, but many of us are waiting for reasons to purchase his goods. I was looking forward to a NEX FF setup, but realistically its price just isn’t realistic for this consumer and, I think, many others.