Sony opens the E-mount specifications! (SR5) New third party lens announcement soon!
Yesterday we told you that new lenses would be announced at the CP+ show. Today Sony announced it will disclose the basic specifications of its “E-mount” for interchangeable single lens cameras, without fee, to manufacturers of lenses and mount adaptors, starting April 1st, 2011 (Source: Sony.net). Sony also included the list of the first companies that will join the system:
1) Zeiss
2) Cosina
3) Sigma
4) Tamron
That’s good news folks! It’s a long time we are waiting the news! The only thing we don’t know yet is if Sony will also share the AF specifications.
Are we are going to see the first lenses tomorrow? Yes! Take a look at Zeiss! 
Via Sony Japan
Vlad
3 years ago |Yep, definitely good news.
JB
3 years ago |No A-mount?
Dodgy
3 years ago |I’m not sure if I should take this announcement as a positive message from Sony.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20030946-1.html
same here, we should be hearing more A-mount rumors!
Jacco
3 years ago |If they would allow all specifications we might be seeing bodies from more manufacturers.
It looks like the best APC-C mirrorless mount thus far, because of the registration distance.
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |Lori Grunin has steadily been pretty sour on Sony, and particularly on the NEX system. Because the Sony announcement arrived in her in-box after the announcements relating to the M4/3 system, she says that after all Sony HAD to do this–as though Sony is reacting. In fact, Sony has the initiative in the world of mirrorless cameras.
This is a great announcement, indicating the likelihood that the various lenses that Cosina manufactures, includng Voightlander, as well as Zeiss, Tamron, & Sigma lenses will be made for the e-mount.
We should see perhaps two more NEX cameras, for new Sony e-mount lenses, and perhaps more in 2011.
dk
3 years ago |Awesome! Sony has seen the light. Open system is the way to go!
BodaFotoBarcelona
3 years ago |Really Glad to Hear That!!! Some fast pancake primes will do a lot when the nex7 comes out!!
FreeRadical09
3 years ago |It’s be dumb for Sony not to include the AF algorithms in the released specs since the system is based on electronic-everything and once advantage it has over DSLRs with video is that is a lot more silent. If Sony is committing itself to this, it has to go all the way, full disclosure or none at all. A half baked release would only be thrashed as a crippled release and would backfire.
What impresses me the most is the fact that Sony has seen something this obvious (lack of lenses for NEX) AND decided to let other join the system, because usually they either won’t notice it or just disregard the issue and keep it locked in propietary formats. This means Sony is serious about the system and they are aware they won’t be filling the gap in lenses soon enough for the system to take off.
That and the fact Schneider Kreznauch and Carl Zeiss just joined the MFT International Crime Syndicate must have stirred things up in Sony :p
RB
3 years ago |Concurrence is always something good!
FreeRadical09
3 years ago |A quick apology for the horrible mistakes in spelling and syntax in my comment above.
Is there a reason why the text in the comment box doesn’t appear in real time as I type and I got to wait for it to catch up? It’s very annoying and makes leaving a comment much more tedious.
hanugro
3 years ago |That is the only way for E-mount to compete with micro 4/3. Sony will not have resources to expand E-mount to 20 lenses range that it need within 2 years. Now they can concentrate more on a-mount. However as a-mount has passed 20 years old, I wonder if Sony can still enforce the patent on it?
Jacco
3 years ago |Indeed.
I am worried however about the sentence “basic specifications”.
If Sony decides to leave out the AF or maybe the image stabilisation information it will limit the type of lenses the third party manufacturers will be able to make.
But, I am glad Sony decided on an open standard. If only they would release the firmware as well, then it would be an ideal world.
dk
3 years ago |Let’s hope for the best. We all know that half-baked effort wont go anywhere.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |The more open standard they’ll gonna make the better for them. IMO even if they’d release firmware as open source it’d make big profits for them. As long as Sony controls fully the camera production it’s superb deal for the company – people want lots of stuff and Sony can provide it with almost no-cost by releasing stuff for free. Yes, it closes some doors, like making the cameras with only firmware locks on some features, but it’s something that shouldn’t (though is more than often) be done anyway.
leonkool
3 years ago |nex series have already got their own lenses and an adaptor to use a-mount lenses, why still bother releasing zeiss lens specifically for e-mount??!! where are lenses for a-mount sony?! seriously, i’m sick of sony’s marketing strategy now…
dk
3 years ago |Because A-mount lenses can’t focus very well on E-mount bodies?
elkarrde
3 years ago |It seems Sony is giving basic specifications for free – it probably really doesn’t include AF and/or stabilisation protocols. I assume that’s what paid licence exists.
Sky_walker
3 years ago |I think they released the AF protocols too. Otherwise there’s really no point, producers, such as Samyang Optics could develop lenses at will anytime, no need to bother with free license if it doesn’t contain the AF protocol, especially if they have experience in releasing fully manual lenses. There would be nothing to announce… at least I hope they did added AF in it…
RB
3 years ago |Because of the smaller distance Sensor–Mount? With the smaller required distance, you can built much more compact and (in theory — Leica proves the opposite) better lenses.
J
3 years ago |Tokina?
Sky_walker
3 years ago |Tokina doesn’t produce lenses for any mirrorless system.
It’d be good if they started releasing their current lenses with A-bayonet – so far they got only great UWA lens and since then… silence… pity
cause IMO they are very good, solid lens maker.
Wayne
3 years ago |where does this leave the future of A-mount. Sony has discontinued a number of lens recently. 50mm F2.8 Macro, 50mm F1.4, 300mm F2.8 to name a few, and with little in sight at the top end regarding cameras ( no replacement for A700, A850 or A900) on the cards. I’m very hesitant to invest in this system
ChenAlan
3 years ago |The lenses you mentioned aren’t fully discontinued – only in some locations on Earth.
Dulaney Ward
3 years ago |The A77 will be here this summer, with little question any more. If anything, this announcement should relieve Sony from pressure to market so many new e-mount lenses that the company has no time for a-mount lenses.
The discounts may be nothing more than a marketing ploy, or they may mean that new a-mount lenses are coming to replace the old rebranded Minolta lenses.
RB
3 years ago |You can even mention the 2,8/70-200, the 1,8/135,… all very important lenses, not only for the high end market but also as lighthouse lenses which “shine” on the low-end and mid range market. In other words: If Sony would give up those flagship lenses, this would mean that they give up the whole camera business….
BTW: There is no replacement for D5Mk2, D3X, 1Ds, D700, either…. All are as old as the a900…
Luke
3 years ago |The AF algorithms used in the camera body are not needed to design and manufacture an E-mount lens. There are no AF “decisions” being made inside the lens itself. Besides, contrast AF algorithms are proprietary and can represent important intellectual property.
Even if the electronics for image stabilization happen to reside in the body, the electromechanical parts could be specified without having to share any algorithms. But interchangeable lenses tend to have self contained in-lens stabilization systems anyway, and don’t forget the pancake lens with no stabilization at all.
pmac
3 years ago |This is my take on it:
the e-mount appears to have been designed to supplement the A mount (at least in the medium term) by offering a mount optimised for all electronic cameras, preferably in a very small quasi range finder form (or a camcorder form but thats a totally different story I dont really even pretend to get.)
Yes it could be used in an SLR form also (like the M4/3s versions) but this doesnt really convey any great advantages in size or packaging so its probably just easier to keep the A mount for that shape.
Ok, lets look at the rangefinder lens market……..
In the main it is not big. Whereas people like us (nerdy gear heads that spend too much time typing about this $%*@) with DSLRs have these long wishlists of lenses, you’re average rangie user has two, maybe three lenses and is happy for life. Yes Leica has a pretty big range but really a lot of those are repeats, small variations of similar lenses and largely only exist for historical reasons.
Sony is probably thinking that if it can get cosina, zeiss, tamron etc building lenses for its NEX line then it can busy itself selling us a new body every two years and be done with it. This is kind of like an Apple strategy – make it easy to develop apps (or lenses) and profit because now lots of people want to buy your platform.
Luke
3 years ago |I completely agree. What’s easy to miss about the announcement is that this sort of thing is a “180 degree” change in the old Sony philosophy of keeping everything proprietary. Have not heard anything negative from corporate about all the MF adapters and interest in old lenses for NEX, and how refreshingly different is that! But making it easy for 3rd party E-mount manufacturers is really a nice new attitude.
Don’t really see the Apple analogy though. They exert terrific control over “App” developers, and lenses are hardware. And Apple controls all crucial system hardware for good reason. Sony will open themselves up for problems in cutting loose E lens specs, but they clearly want to see the system proliferate, and that’s what it takes today.
People are hacking Color Nook readers, but I’ll bet B&N could care less as long as they are selling. That kind of stuff can work for grabbing market share when you’re the underdog or late to the party.
ChenAlan
3 years ago |Apple will change their policy as soon as Steve Jobs dies cause they won’t have any more awesome products to sell. XD
pancanikonpus
3 years ago |got related to Alpha (A mount)?
Steve
3 years ago |Zeiss has already said that they focus on FF lens and stop introducing new APS-C only lenses. The focus will shift to mirrorless lenses going forward with some new FF lenses as well.
hanugro
3 years ago |I guess they will only make new FF prime on a-mount. They will make APS-C on e-mount.
kurth
3 years ago |obviously sony is thinking ahead to the release of their s35 nex pro video camera esp with the zeiss´- hope it´s a redkiller
santela
3 years ago |It’s good news. I have made up my mind to invest in M-mount lenses for the NEX instead, but hey, if a couple great lenses come along, I’ll jump right on the bandwagon.
lastoneleft
3 years ago |Not to rain on the parade, but announcement after announcement, but when we are going to see actual products? We heard about new e-mount Sony lenses, new flashgun, etc, but no actual product, not even a hint, always later in the year… Not to mention, what they are doing with the a700 replacement.
GH
3 years ago |Sony only said 2011 for new e-lenses, so they’ve got 10 months to go.
Mark
3 years ago |I just want a good 24mm F2 prime lens, prefer CZ.
donkey booty
4 weeks ago |16-50 mm f/2.8 please…