Via Digicaminfo we got our hands on the new Sony DT 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 image. The lens will sell for 50,400 yen (530 Euro or $640). This is certainly not a suprise. The lens info was leaked through the Sony Service leak from two weeks ago along the new SAL 300mm G lens. And I think this is just the beggining of the new Sony lens announcements coming in August! Stay tuned guys!!! And hopefully some lenses of you wishlist will get real!
P.S.: The Zeiss for NEX is back in Stock for the normal price at BHphoto (Click here) and via third party resellers at Amazon (Click here).
47 Responses
Wow. I wonder how big is this lens. It will be impressive if they added a 100mm from the old 55-200 but still keeping the same aperture range AND maintaining almost the same size.
Wow, another SAL. But where are the new SELs?
metal mount, nice.
Any Info about the SAM? Is it the same SAM that’s in the 18-135? Silent an with DMF?
Looking at the lens body – seems like it’s exactly the same as in 18-135mm. I’d be very disappointed if it’d be otherwise, as new generation of SAM engines seems to be surprisingly good.
Not something I would use but I can see this lens selling well if its price is close to the 55-200mm SAM. Would be an effective mid tier zoom in between the shorter 55-200mm and outdated 75-300mm zooms and the higher end 70-300mm G.
Hopefully the IQ of this lens will compete nicely with the Tamron 70-300mm USD.
That might be wishful thinking. Isn’t the Tamron 70-300 USD supposed to be similar in optical quality to the Sony 70-300G?
Don’t forget that those two lenses are full frame. This new 55-300 is DT, so APS-C only.
I have one, and it is not only similar (actually better according to quite many reviews) optical quality then the G, but is also full frame. Plus, the USD focus motor is much, much quieter then the regular SAM or the screw drive. A real gem of a lens, especially for the price.
I have it too. Great lens but got it’s own quirks. Still though – probably the best “bang for a buck” you can get in telephoto glass.
Just FYI, I heard at one major electronics store here in Tokyo that Tamron actually OEMs lenses for Sony. So, I would imagine the quality would be similar. Just a matter of what label you are slapping onto it.
not a surprise since Sony also own a chunks of Tamron.
Hmm, I had read this review here which directly compared the two – http://photo.net/equipment/sony-system/sony-70-300-g-ssm-vs-tamron-70-300-sp-usd/review/
In any case you are right that the 55-300mm isn’t a FF compatible zoom so not a direct comparison to the Tamron 70-300mm USD.
A welcome addition for those with the 18-55 kit. Add to that another option, the 18-135, yippee.
50/1.2 please!
+1000
Admin where is that lens?? 2013?
2012 please!
This lens will sell a whole lot more than an highly expensive prime.
I am encouraged by their support for Alpha, maybe these announcements are a result of the change in management at Sony with imaging being one of the major areas for improvement.
The one thing it does hint at is the possibility of Sony dropping the in-built AF motor as was rumoured with the A37. Perhaps Sony are pushing out SAM and SSM versions before releasing a motor-less A38 or whatever.
I hope that will never happen, cause currently it’s one of very few advantages Sony has over Nikon. Full compatibility with lenses reaching back as far as till 1987. It’d be a shame to give that up just because Sony needs more $$. Cost of AF motor isn’t high anyway as they mass-produce it on huge scale and then insert into every camera released.
DT… so not a 75-300 replacement sosad
entirely uninteresting in my point of view … more pro, less DT
DT is where the money is. I’d rather Sony re-build from the ground up with a solid foundation of lenses.
There is no point concentrating on a pro market dominated by CaNikon without first getting the lenses in place that will attract the lower-end of the market when Sony eventually go for the pro market, if ever.
Low-end market won’t come if high-end feels abandoned and there’s no focus on it what so ever.
Sony wants you to buy DT lenses now before the whole DSLR crowd will move on to FF. Then you will have to buy new lenses again. Profitable times are ahead of us!
hey sony! why you don’t give us new ultrawide lens?
andrea are you have any info about cz 50mm/1.2 and 50mm/1.4 ?
Who needs non-DT lenses at the moment anyways? FF is a niche market, especially for Sony. They want money now and a lot of it. So it makes more sense to sell to the market that has the most people. It’s good to see Sony updating their lens lineup(slowly, but surely).
If you use a FF-compatible lens on an APS-C body, your using the “sweet spot” of the lens. So you will have much nicer IQ in the corners.
where are the SEL lens? a competent wide angle? a competent standard zoom that match NEX-7? make more SEL lens before users switching to EOS-M.
Very frustrated my M43 lens (esp zoom) are better than NEX lens.
Is it just me, or are a lot of Sony’s new lenses not priced very competitively compared to Nikon and Canon… At least the Nikon 55-300 has AF-S. Where’s the cheapo SSM lenses, Sony?
Or an 85mm prime… f/2.8 doesn’t really impress me. Sure, it’s sharp. So? For almost the same price, you can get a f/1.8 with USM from Canon or the older AF-D 85mm f/1.8 screw-driven Nikon… Over a whole stop faster. Come on.
Guess you just missed the Zeiss 85mm f1.4? Or is it just outside your budget? 🙂
Yes, this was long a problem (no alternate 85mm) but since they’ve released it not a lot else we can do now. You can be sure almost everyone would have preferred a 1.8-2 lens as backup, even if it cost a little more.
But honestly, you have so many choices in this focal length it’s a bit picky to complain. Either save or get an alternate. Ive used the Minolta for over 3 years and it’s a very fine lens. It’s a focal length worth spending on if you like people, so to speak.
Seems like a good choice..! Not getting it though (Already have the old SAL75300) But the more the merrier. Hope Sony keeps releasing more and more lenses.
so this isn’t the replacement for SAL70300G correct?
Instead we are expecting this to be of equal quality to the DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM Standard Zoom?
If that is the case would you expect this new one to be of lesser/equal/greater quality to the SAL70300G?
I’ve been eyeing the SAL70300G but waiting for these lens updates prior to making the purchase.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
If it is supposed to complement the 16-50 SSM I would expect it to also have SSM and weather sealing – unless of course these new SAM motors can now compete with SSM in terms of motor noise. The 18-135 SAM is supposed to be quieter, but is it as quiet and as fast as SSM?
I can’t see that the 55-300 will be a direct replacement for the 70-300G though, as it’s “only” DT.
It’s replacement for old SAL75300. This lens should have gone to retirement long ago anyway.
actually, this SAL55300 is DT while the old telephoto (SAL75300) is a Full-frame lens so it will never be a replacement to that lens. I have it and while it’s quality goes back to the cheaper lens from the early 2000 of the Minolta era, it’s a good solution for new users with either a used A850 wanting to go telephoto or need the reach of a 450mm on an APS-C camera for less than 250USD.
I’m sure that if Sony updates the old 75300 with a non-rotating and/or non-extending AF mechanism but still being screw-driven and with some updated coatings and/or new elements to reduce the CA, it will be better option than this lens (just because it’s FF able) although this would hurt SAL70300G sales so maybe it’s not possible.
“it will never be a replacement to that lens” – hehe, funny. And next thing you’ll tell me that you run with 75-300 on Alpha 900? Thanks for the laugh.
It is a replacement of a cheap -300mm zoom.
Except that this new lens isn’t really very cheap compared to the 75-300mm.
Regardless of the fact you think it’s funny that an A850/A900 user would attach such a cheap lens, Rooru is correct in that the old lens is FF, so the new lens can’t be seen as a direct replacement, especially if you like to take advantage of APS-C sweet spot with FF lenses.
this lens is shit.
An insightful post. Thanks for your input.
you’re welcome.
good luck with the 55mm f4.5
Why, does f/4.5 automatically make it unusable?
Not unusable, but just not that good. especially since this looks like a second rate lens.
The fact is that you simply don’t have any flexibility. My 50mm 1.4 allows me to do 1.4 as well as 4.5, whereas this crap only allows you to do 4.5 wide open. which mean if you want extreme dof thats just not an option. also if you want to shoot in low light and have any flexibility in shutter you have no chance… and please don’t tell me you’re gonna increase the iso because thats just another way of saying you’re flushing your image down the toilet, unless you’re shooting for the web. In which case, why do you have an slr???
So how do you shoot at 100, 200 and 300mm with your 50mm f1.4?
Sorry AVESTA, but you’re being simply ridiculous. How can you possibly compare this lens to a 50mm f/1.4? You MUST be trolling.
Sure, this new lens isn’t a constant f/2.8, but that isn’t going to happen in this price range, or on a telephoto with that zoom range.
That doesn’t make the lens “shit”.
@ Zaph – LOL
Every person with just basic photography knowledge knows that such a comparison makes no sense. It is like comparing sailing ship with power boat because both of them are on the water.
High excitement, for sure! New kit lenses make me happy!
DPReview says this is announced, but with a $300 price tag, rather than $600+.
Why are are all the reviews on this lens July 2012 and hence have no uoto date information?