As you know last week I told you the 20mm E-mount pancake lens would likely be updated soon. Well, it seems like this could be not the only one lens being updated soon. There are reports on Dpreview forum with readers saying the lens has been told to be discontinued (including by BHphoto store). There may be a chance to see an updated version this week already when the A77II and RX100M3 will be announced on May 1.
P.S.: Thanks to the anonymous reader for sending me the links!
0 Responses
This is definitively news.
I understood this was a very good lens.
Why would it be discontinued?
It’s not. It’s just click bait.
Interesting… This was a lens I’ve been on the fence about for a while now due to the very mixed reviews. Have been happy just using the Zeiss 24mm as my day to day walkabout camera though.
The source is a reseller. Not likely to be true.
Must be to convert it to FE.
I don’t think there has ever been a FF 16-70mm lens from any manufacturer (someone correct me if I’m wrong). Most UWA go up to 35 eg 16-35.
Yeh, maybe with a Sony Zeiss FE 16-35mm f/4…
This was one of the nicest APS-C zooms out there. If I wasn’t a A7 shooter I would’ve got one.
Makes sense since it had a huge $300 discount from Sony. But seriously, wasn’t this lens just announce? What could they possibly replace it with? A Mark II version which is 2/3rds the size and weight?
I can’t beliebe admin actually posted this nonsense… btw admin, SONY told me that the a6000 is discontinued…
Stfu, this is a rumor site..admin really rocks the best.
Admin has been crazy posting up buying links and promoting deals on this website recently. Too bad this website is becoming like that.
How about just reading the rumors category bro’?
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/category/rumors/
It has always been “like that.” Unless you want to fund Andrea’s services, lay off. He can’t do it for free. He gets money from the referral links. Duh
Admin simply want to find a story to put the BH link of the 1670 lens up to get more click and $$$.
Bieber-Belieber?
2 months ago Sony anounced A6000 bundled with SEL1670Z and now this lens should be discontinued? BS!
Maybe they are going to cover the range with 2 more compact and faster lenses. Hopefully FE capable as well.
Say, 16-35 and 35-70 or longer
So this lens gets discontinued only to be replaced by something completely different? Yeah, nah. The market is big enough and Sony has enough resources for a 16-35/35-70 and 16-70 to exist at the same time.
Some hope for a decent standard again…
Still I think that’d be too good to be true…..
Admin ……Its the 27 April can you just tell us if we can be expecting another A mount at the may anouncment or is the Point and shoot the “BIG” surprise ?
I’ve got absolutely nothing on why this woukd happen. Best I can think of is there actually IS an A7000 (which I have seriously doubted) coming that is weather sealed and the 16-70mm is getting updated to weather sealing?
I think you nailed it. It will getting upgraded with weather sealing and match an upcoming A7000.
Sony, bring me a 16-50 2.8 for E-Mount, just as goos, as the SAL, and a A7 styled (same size) APS-C A7000 pro camera, and i will immediatly sell my A7 with the Zeiss 24-70.
b&h link says nothing about the lens being discontinued.
Did actually anyone check the BHphoto link? The word “discontinued” is nowhere to be found.
i don’t believe it. no reason to waste R&D resources on reflashing this so-new lens.
I lol’d. My first thought was that they would release the same lens with updated coatings and charge half again as much.
Maybe they’ll pull something out of their sleeves and plan to release an f/2.8 version (hopefully not significantly larger). 🙂
Missed the rating on this post. Is this a SR1?
On an unrelated note, how much money does it take for Sony to make a new camera body mold? Since that’s about the only change I see in the crappy a77II ‘upgrade’ I’m just curious if I should expect a price increase. (Okay, I’m just venting my frustration with Sony in some snark). ;^)
This is basically a news that states the Zeiss E-mount 16-70mm has been discontinued. In that regard, Andrea is trying to guess that it’s getting a replacement.
It was posted in rumors.
Well it’s just Andrea’s guess without any source to back-up. So rating is not needed.
SR ratings are gone because it’s a speculative site more than a rumor site now.
A rumor site is speculative, otherwise it would be dealing with facts, not rumors.
You know that there is a difference between a speculation and a rumors, right?
Yes, but many rumors certainly are founded on speculation. They aren’t all leaked information from people who know the truth.
Looks like Wex is still stocking it in the UK and offering it for pre-order as a kit zoom with the a6000. Relax, e-mount isn’t dead yet…
I can’t believe the 16-70 is going to be replaced so soon, BUT I have occasionally seen this lens being sold as a clearance item on Sony UK’s outlet store for £420. I wondered at the time if they were labelling it as clearance instead of refurbished by mistake.
Ground control to major Sony … We need more lenses… No udated. Can you agree to that?
I just bought it and now you say it will be discontinued.
I guess you will not be able to take any pictures with your discontinued lens. 🙂
Isnt that how EVERYTHING works? Technology doesnt stand still. It is accelerating faster and faster. It’s to the point now that as soon as something is released, the technology is already obsolete because the engineers are working on something WAY better.
Sometimes I try to think about how these are made. Are they made in a single production run and warehoused? Maybe Sony has run out of all 16-70s produced (maybe their line makes them for 30 days in a row per year) and now they wish to make some change big enough to be noticed. Simply create a ‘new’ lens. It would be relatively inexpensive to redesign the electronics, casing, etc without redesigning the optics.
Sony is not afraid to raise or lower a price if needed, so I do not think that is a reason to kill a lens if it proved to be more costly to make the second time around.
Probably someone who confused the words discounted and discontinued.
This.
Or Auto-corrected to discontinued 😛
Sony will be replacing lenses with new or updated models every 6-8 months now for the low end/kit lenses, and 8-12 months for the high end lenses.
Sony will no longer be partnered with Zeiss. Their high end lenses will be Leica. This replacement lens will be a Leica 16-80mm E-mount.
I am not joking.
That will be very very interesting with Leica T coming out whose APSC lenses aren’t made by PANASONIC
And we are to believe this crazytalk why? Proof?
This is not worth a ‘rumor’ given that it comes from just one dpreview poster. No way to verify truth and even if a sony store rep said this, they are generally clueless anyways. Maybe he wanted to push another lens for the commission.
On this site, that’s a SR5 if you have not learned by now…
Give me a break. Andrea didn’t even bother to sign this rumor an SR number. The only people who are treating this rumor as gospel truth are the crazies who can’t stop speculating in the comments section.
Well… Zeiss 16-70/4 is sharp and don’t have “pillow” geometry. That’s for positive side. On the negative – very busy and nervous bokeh. So… Definetly not the best choise for amateurs.
Can’t disagree more about the bokeh. For a standard zoom the bokeh is some of the best I have seen.
This could be a busy nightmare, but is very pleasant: https://www.flickr.com/photos/43280011@N03/13184816733/in/pool-2388148@N21
Well if they are discontinuing it, that’s great: far too many lenses available already…
Wasn’t this lens released at the end of August last year? And now being discontinued? I highly doubt this.
If this is true, also is very suspisious that the SAL16-50mm f2.8 it gonna be refreshed, could mean that the a77II come with e-mount; well it’s a rumors site or not 😉
Almost certainly correct.
I think at this point it is HIGHLY improbable that the A77II will be an A-mount camera.
I must to confess, a E-mount a77 specs camera is my dreamed camera from Sony.
I agree as well. I am selling all my A-mount cameras and some of the lenses that I wont want to use with an adapter. Once May 1 rolls around and it becomes apparent to people Sony is dumping A-mount, resale on this stuff is going to tank.
God I hope so, considering that E-Mount works very well with A-Mount I will happily pick up a bunch of A-Mount bargains from.all the cry babies who can’t possibly use an adapter 😉
It doesn’t work well, you lose IBIS and even with the adapter you only get the most basic AF module. OSPDAF doesn’t work through the adapter either.
Sadly i think i will do the same. It’s just not worth the risk anymore.
I think theres gonna be a lot of people doing the same.
Goodbye Sony. 23 years of A-mount loyalty from me….. Hello Canon.
Me too, if anyone want to buy like new A7 with kit + 50mm FD S.S.C 1.4, gariz case, extra battery and charger and three more adapters just let me know
I already sold all my A mount gear and cameras. One A900, two A99’s, several 70-200’s, several 24-70’s, tons of strobes and some other lenses that I didnt use at work.
Now I’m shooting Canon. I realized that I’d much rather have system stability than innovation.
Dima
Canon and Nikon will keep being the first professionals choice. At least you can find tons of accessories to buy or lenses to rent for special shoots.
I really wanted to have the Zeiss 1670 and tried hard to convince myself to get it but was repeatedly scared away by bad reviews (soft corners, glare, CA… etc, too much for a piece of $1000 glass). Glad if Sony/Zeiss decided to update the lens and correct all the negatives. I’ll jump on it!
Funny timing, I just Ebay’d my A77 and lenses and bought a Nikon D7100. It will be here Thursday!!
Thanks for the fun Sony and SAR! But the rollercoaster ride was just too much for me!
Good choice, I don’t think you will ever regret it.
Vlad, I think you’re right. 🙁
Yeah, it’s looking that way for sure. Running out of reasons why this doesnt make sense and it’s looking more and more likely.
Funny thing is that in may 1st when the new a77II is released and its A mount the crybabys will continue to cry.
It wont be A-mount. Even if it is, clearly Sony is just milking it out as long as they can.
i think a lot of people are going to be rioting in the streets if this is true. sony will be synonymous with pissing people off. sony dont have much left to stand on because of the computer and tv business being cancelled so i guess that will be the end of sony. i hope they’re not that stupid.
I am listing my A-mount gear on Ebay as we speak!
I think this is a good example of the definition of unfounded hysteria!
I also traded in my A-mount + lenses to B&H for an A6000+1670Z.
Is this lens that old? Why a needed update that initial research and development should not have produced a lens of great quality? I just get the feeling that Sony releases something and the immediate response is how it can be better. Instead of saying in the prototype stage, is there anything we can do to improve this product before we go to market? Well maybe a processor that can do tasks in a reasonable time and process data today. Ok sorry, I digressed. I just had my 99 out and it always reminds me how a bit underpowered it can be. When and where is the 99II thought probably should have, could have been the the 99. I’m ok now.
Isnt that how EVERYTHING works? Technology doesnt stand still. It is
accelerating faster and faster. It’s to the point now that as soon as
something is released, the technology is already obsolete because the
engineers are working on something WAY better.
Your right, but as far as processors are concern, Nikon and canon already had better processors in the cameras released before the 99. The Bionz needed upgraded badly and the technology was already present and available.
It’s the bundle with the a6000 that’s discontinued, not the lens by itself according to B&H
So a brand new bundle is discontinued? That speaks as if there’s some sort of incompatibility discovered between camera and lens.
No it doesn’t. It was a special bundle that they sold for s limited time at a $300 discount. That discounted bundle now no longer exists. So when you put in for a notification on when it is back in stock, since it is no longer being offered at that price, you get an email that it’s a discontinued bundle – it is an automated notification system. When B&H removed that bundle at that price, out went the discontinuation notices to anyone that had submitted a request to be emailed when it is back in stock. It has nothing to do with compatibility.
Would make sense.
Sony could make this type of lens for half it’s price as a Sony lens, not Zeiss … if it decided to do it.
If they do, I hope it is a 16-70 PZ type.
Uhm they do exactly that, the Sony G 18-105mm PZ at half the price… who’d have thunk it? 😉
This lens is NOT listed as discontinued by B&H.
Zeiss has big problem to make small zoom lens . 16-70 f4 very soft edge , 24-70 f4 the same ,plus distortion . Shame , I believe it is not easy to make small lens , but there are not cheap . I do not event to be .I want top quality , sharp from f4 , from center to edge . That how Zeiss should be .
People should be more concerned about their technique and composition rather than expect sharp corners wide open at 16mm on a lightweight zoom lens.
The corners are acceptable. The insanely strong distortion is NOT. Its truly embarrassing for Sony! No other lens maker has introduced such distortion.
People should be more concerned about the end result and less about how a lens looks on a body.
I have it on good authority that the A77II is going to be E-mount, and will come with a new 16-80mm Sony (no Zeiss) weathersealed lens, similar to current A-mount 16-50.
What authority? Some misfiring neuron in your brain? 😉
ADMIN,
This person is mocking my name.
I dont appreciate my name being mocked.
54 megapixels
Stacked Sensor
Superzoom; did they fold the optics?
54 megapixels
lol
You are correct. I will post info soon.
Waitwaitwaitwaitwait… WHAT? Is this really from admin… i.e. Andrea? You’re *confirming* that the A77II will be E-mount w/ 16-80 Sony lens? Makes zero sense to a degree that exceeds Sony’s recent demonstrated ability to make zero sense, have to say I don’t believe he first half of this, at least, although I certainly hope the 2nd is true, that it’s fairly close to the 1670Z’s quality and that it comes at a more reasonable price point.
That is a fake admin
It’s a real admin, just not the same admin.
great…
just wait till THIS little tidbit of crappy information get’s out…..
Oh well, time to jump ship.
Seriously? All the trolls were right??!!
I dont believe this.
Yes, this is true! I know for a fact. I suspect I know who “All Knowing One” is…
The A77II will be E-mount with an included A-mount adapter. It’s actually pretty slick (not bulky or clunky at all). The feature set and sensor will all be incremental upgrades in performance from A77.
It is a good transition.
R U Serious?!
This is BIG news…. 🙁
I like this idea. As long as it’s done right!
It’s not E-mount. I have that on good authority, in fact, slightly better than your authority.
I knew it!! Sony is giving up on e-mount.. Lens production always ends first.. 😉
Lol. They’re giving up everything! Giving it all to charity. Why can’t anyone else see the signs!?
No the A77II is not e-mount, as we have been told that it is very similar to the current A77. That means that the flange distance is the same..Which means it is A-mount. If it was E mount, we would have been told that is looks like an A7…
16-70 F4 QCII?
Ladies and Gentlemen,this is what we have been asking for in Sony Alpha Rumors – an SR1 rumor
Am I missing something fundamental? E-mount flange distance is too short for an SLR. The mirror box is in the way. There would have to be a clever mechanical way to get the mirror out of the way and the sensor closer to the rear element..
Isn’t this lens got released one year ago????
admin…why you don’t follow your own set of rules by marking it in the SR scale?
SR-5
I just clicked on the provided link for the SEL1670Z and it’s still there, with the option to buy it right away. I guess this is a SR1.
Please don’t confuse SR-5 (minus 5) and SR5. 😉
It’s the A-mount CZ16-80 that needs a refresh and SSM.
If A7II is really E-Mount, then Sony should convert all A-Mount lenses into E-mount so we would not need anylonger A to E-mount adapter :D… Would be a very good news 😀 to be nolonger limited by 21 E-mount lenses and get access to 120 A-mount lenses without adapter.
”
Zeiss 16-70mm E-mount lens discontinued?”
This is not even a rumor, just pure BS.
A Sony 16-50 f2.8 SSM with E mount at
sony price point would be good too.