As you know Sony will also announce a new 16-50mm f/2.8 kit lens along the Sony A77. A trusted source just told me that the 16-50 will have a new actuation motor designed for video use. It may carries the SAM tag but is a new design intended to be on par with SSM. Very likely that the filter diameter of the 16-50 will be 67, as with the [shoplink 7804]28-75[/shoplink]… 72 is a bit of a stretch for an APS model. Another new source told me that “it is definitely an SSM lens, but what’s up in the air is whether it is a G or ZA lens, or neither. Even the lens hood code declares it to be an SSM lens“. I hope to get a 100% confirmation from other sources if the lens will be SAM or SSM. Thanks!
Reminder: As you know the price should be around 750 Euro (or $800 Dollars). The lens itself costs much less than the counterpart lenses:
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM IS costs around around $300 more at [shopcountry 7556].
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 $ is twice more expensive! Check at [shopcountry 7555].
67 Responses
“It may carries the SAM tag but is a new design intended to be on par with SSM.”
Then if it’s on par, are they suicidal naming it SAM? they ought to know that advanced Sony shooters are not going to spend that much you predicted on a SAM zoom lens.
Sony didn’t named it. It’s not even released yet.
its too early to give death penalty to SAM. Technology will improve and SAM will get better and better.
Of course that SAM Labeling in preproduction could also be a measure taken to narrow down the spreading of rumors about the new kit lens by making it less attractive and to bring it a bit out of the focus. (I know that this is very hypothetic but i guess when it comes to rumors everything is.)
Im loving the constant updates on A77 now… haha
The time is getting closer and closer…
Im already looking forward to the A99 🙂
Indeed. Can’t wait!! 🙂
It’ll probably end up with being a G lens, and hopefully with twin brother in E mount next year 🙂
That would be great if it is a G. I don’t think it is a CZ due to the price tag and if it is a CZ it won’t be on par with other CZ lenses for sure.
Awesome. Any confirmation whatever it’d be SAM,SSM or something new (stealing Tamron PZD drive? That could work, as far as we’d stay away from SAM crap) would be very much appreciated. 🙂
Andrea, any details on the announcement date. Nikon seems to have an event planned for Aug 24th (see http://nikonrumors.com/).
Will Sony announce before or after?
Thanks.
my Sony seller told me that we should have the announcment on august 21-22.
Sounds nice 🙂
Andrea, one question: I see no mention of weather sealed lenses or bodies in the upcoming releases. Wasn’t HVL-F43AM a sign that Sony could upgrade in that direction too? What’s the point of having a weather resistant flashgun when all lenses are not?
I’m also wondering 85mm and 135mm ZA lenses will be upgraded to SSM or not?
a SAM lens that par with SSM? sound futuristic 😀
You mean all twenty-five of us?
Sony deals with production runs of thousands!
How many of Sony’s basic customer really care if a lens is SAM or SSM?
I agree in part with what you say, but we’ve got to consider that such a camera (I mean A77) won’t sell to crowds of soccer mums.
What? The Canon 60D nad Nikon D7000 are sold mainly to soccer mums and this new Sony prosumer camera is aimed at the same market… so yeah, they still won’t care whether it’s SSM or SAM.
If this lens is to be optimized for video with a silent focus motor then it’s not geared towards pros or semi-pro enthusiasts, as they would either use manual focus or an external mic to avoid any noise coming from the camera (focusing, hands shuffling, etc). If your not doing either of those thngs (ie. soccer moms, vacationers, people who post videos of their cats on YouTube) then this lens is worth double the price of the Tamron to get that silent focus.
Sony’s basic customers probably don’t care, but I’ll bet basic customers are just fine with a basic kit lens that is screw drive of the 3.5-5.6 variety. I’ll bet most people who will spend the money on a 2.8 lens DO care. I know that for me when I am shooting weddings I HATE the noise and slow speed of low end lenses. I need both fast apertures and fast and silent focusing.
That something new to me – 60D & D7000 are sold mainly to soccer moms!!!
Remember that most who comment here might not even bother to buy a Sony camera :p
Maybe this lens will feature the linear ultrasonic motor like that of the E 30/3.5 Macro.
………
SSM = buy this lens
SAM= i buy 16-80za
I will buy this lens if it is SSM.
or
I will just get the SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM if it is SAM.
67mm filters? Do they seriously intend to keep making lenses in six different filter sizes?
Apart from CPL..
I just use lens caps.
😉
I agree, but we both know how much more expensive 72mm and 77mm glass is and how it adds both to the price and weight of a lens.
When I pick up a APS-C camera with a 67mm kit lens and then pick up my a850 full-frame and CZ 24-70/f2.8 with its 77mm front element, tears come to my eyes, and not only because of the weight difference the cost too. 🙂
I try to stay with 72mm and 77mm glass in my bag and I use two filter cases on my belt one with my 72’s and the other with my 77mm filters.
I also i’m not hoping for changes that makes carrying filters harder to manage quickly like additional sizes.
Filter size isn’t linked to front element size.
Isn’t that cute :).
Seriously, you can be happy that you don’t have to deal with Broadcast, the 4×4″ filters (101,6×101,6mm) Square filters they use are horribly expensive so that you can easily spend a few hundred bucks for one single filter if it is somehow special… and of course they are Huge,too.
Think of that if you buy a 77mm filter next time. (Although 77mm Pol filters are a ripoff in my eyes)
For me the most annoying thing with dslr-filters is that you can’t use step up rings because of the lenses hoods.
Not much fun if you’re a privateer, but no biggy if you have a studio willing to foot your bill.
It seems like a lot of effort to create an SSM like SAM motor, when you can just use SSM.
So perhaps they are trying to move away and develop their own technology since Minolta/Sony are using patents from Canon’s USM. Video optimised focus motors signify a silent operation, but not necessarily the fastest operation.
Also, Andrea do we have any information on the maximum shutter speed of the A77 will be?
I am trying to get the final info about ISO and shutter speed.
This is a rebadged lens. It is easy to know this because Sony does not have a patent for a 16-50mm f/2.8 lens which they would have if they designed one.
Save your money and pickup the Sigma EX 17-50mm f/2.8 OS HSM. At least that model has optical stabilization and ring ultrasonic motor.
How can you be so sure it being a rebadged lens? Sony clearly needs a fast zoom lens, could be their own design, but I suppose you may also be right… let’s just wait and see; 800$ doesn’t seem to stiff for such a lens, even it’s rebranded; Look @pentax selling a tokina for twice the price.
Well there is only one other 16-50/2.8 (the Tokina/Pentax), and they both feature a duo-cam extension. I guess we’ll quickly see if this is the case of the Sony as well.
Last year there was an information about new sony patent for 16-50/2.8-3.5 lens, it could be based on this patent cause that lens was supposed to keep constant aperture of 2.8 from 16 to 50 and from 50 to 80 was supposed to be 3.5 so maybe they modified the lens and limited it to 50.
It’s the only explanation.
Let’s hope that’s the case – and that it’s not noisy 😀
…and if you do get ANY Sigma lens, make sure it is dSLT compatible…
Kind of points to Tamrom. Tamron has the 17-50 f2.8 lens. I wonder if they had a hand in the new lens design?
Since this is NOT a 17-50, but a 16-50, and since it is reported to be VERY sharp with the A77, I wonder just what lens it would be rebadged form?
Even if it is taken from the design of some Tamron lens, it is likely to have been considerable reworked. In any case, I believe it is new.
where is this report about it being sharp?
I would like to read it
Never said it wad the tamrom genius!!! Jeeze!! And yes I am sure it is a new design. Sony and Minokta have used Tamrin in the past and they could have done it again by consulting tamron engineers. Stop taking things out of context and putting more into what was written. Go get a degree in something as well!
Tamrom, Tamrin, Minokta… wtf am I reading? Making up new companies?
Tamron and Minolta. The way they are spelled is not how I wrote the comment. Someone edited it to make me look like I can not spell. Get a life loser.
i stil can’t decide between this lens and the CZ 16-80 f3.5-4.5… Any suggestions??
The CZ is a great DT lens. We’re gambling for this one. I am using the Sony 16-105 right now and I regret not getting the CZ a bit. The 16-50 have too many unconfirmed rumors on it. Just 1 more month.
Yes, wait…:D
Designed for video use?? How the hell is it for video, if it uses the noisy SAM?
It has to be SSM, or I’ll get the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 OS HSM instead. In-lens stabilization is much better for DSLR videos anyway.
Sony where is that 50mmF1.2?? Don’t leave us in the dark ages.
So, Nikon is drawing first blood on the Aug24? It would suck if its a FF D4 or 800.
Thanks Andrea. Please let us know if ir is a G and SSM lens 🙂
The best motor for video is the Voice Coil Motor.
The 1680Z lens is going to be tough to beat. Despite not having a SSM label, the focusing is quick and accurate. I’ve been very pleased with it.
I hope that this new lens is NOT a rebadged anything. I hope that Sony worked with Zeiss and designed a lens from the ground up. I like the sound of it having a quiet and a quick focusing system with video use in mind. That would definitely give it a competitive advantage as on almost all other lenses you can hear the focusing system working. It can ruin a video.
Who cares if it’s called SAM or SSM
Optimized for video means quiet, fast, super durable for thousands hours of cAF
Designed for video could also mean: MF, Rings for Follow-Focus Aperture and Zoom, no Need for a Lens Hood (Integrated fix hood), Manual Aperture Control without any arrests through the armature range, T-Stop markings instead of F-Stop markings, Solid build …
till there aren’t more details about what is meant with designed for video it think there is no need to make something up, designed for video is just not saying anything precise in this particular case so lets better wait fore some more information.
true…. but CAAANT WAIIIIT!
Sony calls it a kit lens…
or did I read the rumor wrong?
In the past, that was not a Zeiss or a G lens, it just a basic low priced lens that could be sold as a packaged price with a camera body.
Look at the Sony lens line-up most of them are not even SAM, but use the body to supply auto focus correct?
There was a Kit of A700 with 16-80. The 700 even hat the Zeiss on its strap: http://cache.kalaydo.de/mmo/1/219/435/61_404936839.jpg (didn’t find a better pic)
I love how folks are ripping on a lens that hasn’t seen the light of day yet. Until there is a hands on review that says otherwise, I will assume this lens is the best one to match up with the new a77 in this focal length. Why be soooo negative by default? Isn’t there enough negativity in the world already without making some up?
Anyway, I look forward to checking this out. Sounds like it’d still make a great early Christmas present for me.
> Very likely that the filter diameter of the 16-50 will be 67, as with the 28-75… 72 is a bit of a stretch for an APS model
Pentax’s and Tokina’s 16-50mm f/2.8 have 77mm filter diameter.
weather sealing Sony, PLEASE!
Could be that what Sony means is it will be a cheaper to build SSM design. Plastic gears or something. That would fit with the philosophy of their SAM system which is not built up to the long term usage designs of other lenses.
They also seem to be telling us with this lens that they are committing to video first and still photography second in their future designing of their interchangeable lens cameras. Would be nice for them to make cameras designed for the original primary use of these cameras which was for stills. They don’t seem to have noticed that stills is the primary use of these cameras by the majority of users.
16-50mm is way too short a zoom for a kit lens for a wide range of photography. I vote for a 16-80 at least. Though, again, this is probably dictated by video limitations.
Walt, do your maths and you will know why 16-50 is good enough for a APS-C sensor.
Sony ‘seems to be telling us’ nothing. This is only one of the kit lens choices that will be available. First, you don’t want to suppose or infer anything whatsoever from the A77 specs, because it’s not a real camera yet. Now you want to suppose and infer that Sony will be concentrating solely on video photography because they’re building a cheap (supposition by you, again) lens for this camera.
I suppose that supposition and inference are only useful if you want to bash Sony, even before a product is released; but metering out any praise for them in advance is only hypothetical and useless, to you.
Per the lenses: The 16-80mm CZ, even built for a APS-C, is not a constant aperture. However, a 16-50mm lens can be built to a constant aperture (f/2.8). So maybe this wasn’t a choice for video, as you pessimistically suggest, but one for photographers who want a constant f/2.8? Or doesn’t that fit into your Sony-Sucks worldview?
SHUT THE FUCK UP WALT!!!
AHHHHHHH!!!! I can’t wait anymore, I want my A77 NOW!!!
They haven’t told us if the studio problem has already solved. But I’m sure Sony heard us and they’ve made an adjustment unto it already.