The new BATIS 85mm and 25mm lenses have an OLED display on lens!

Preorder links:
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 85mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 25mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).

New Zeiss Batis key info and specs:
Chapeau Zeiss! The new BATIS lens announcement just added a huge value to the FE system. Those are the key points of the new lenses:
1) They are the first Full Frame Zeiss lenses with autofocus
2) Those are the first worldwide lenses with OLED display on lens to show aperture and dpeth of field info. And at startup it reminds you what you spent $$$ for with a “ZEISS” writing :)
3) The 85mm f/1.8 is the first Zeiss with optical stabilization.

The lenses are also weather sealed!
And here are the specs:

Technical specifications Zeiss

Full press release and more images can be seen on that SAR post. And here are the Adorama preorder links (Click on the image):

Reminder: Tomorrow (April 23) big Sony announcement! Follow live on SAR at 12,00 London time.

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 85mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 25mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).

Preorder links:
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 85mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 25mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).

Amazing! Zeiss just announced a new lens line for Sony FE mount! it’s the autofocus BATIS line and the two first lenses will be the 25mm f/2.0 and 85mm f/1.8. Here is the press text:

The new ZEISS Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85 lenses are the first full-frame autofocus lenses with an OLED display for the mirrorless Sony α series and therefore the pioneers of a new era. As professional tools, they enable outstanding outcomes with optimal image performance, impressive contrast and maximum resolution down to the very last detail.
The innovative OLED display shows the distance of the focal plane from the camera system and the depth of fields, therefore ideally supporting creative image composition. For the demanding photographer, the OLED display is an absolute highlight – an innovation that is currently unparalleled in camera lenses.  ZEISS Batis lenses are available in a wide-angle and portrait focal length and are the perfect match for the existing lenses offered for the system. The ZEISS Batis 2/25 and Batis 1.8/85 lenses will be available for purchase from July 2015 – place your order now!

Her eis the official trailer:

This from Zeiss:
ZEISS Batis 2/25:
The ZEISS Batis 2/25 wide-angle lens has ten lens elements in eight groups and draws on the ZEISS Distagon optical design. Four of the lens elements are aspheric on both sides and five are made from special types of glass. The aspheric lens design ensures consistently high image quality over the whole image field and a sharpness that extends right to the edges of the frame. The moderate 82 degree image angle combined with a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters makes this wide-angle lens the perfect choice for architecture and landscape photography and many other applications besides. It encourages the user to make creative use of depth of field which can often yield surprising results, particularly in close-up photography.

ZEISS Batis 1.8/85:
The ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 is a moderate tele lens which offers 11 lens elements in eight groups and features the ZEISS Sonnar optical design. The lens elements are made from special types of glass and designed to ensure superior image quality. The ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 is a particularly good choice for wedding photography and portrait shots, offering the high speed which provides plenty of creative scope to bring out the main subject. Thanks to its optical image stabilization, the ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 can capture outstanding images even under difficult, shifting light conditions.

“The Batis family of lenses is the first time we have launched autofocus lenses for Sony’s full- frame E-mount cameras which are ZEISS through and through – in other words exclusively developed and distributed by us,” says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Product Manager at ZEISS Camera Lenses. The Sony alpha full-frame E-mount system, which currently consists of the α7 family of cameras, is one of the most innovative camera systems on the market and is becoming an increasingly popular choice for professionals and people considering switching from DSLRs. “The ZEISS Batis lenses are our way of acknowledging this trend and providing creative and ambitious photographers with the expert tools they need,” says Pollmann. The lenses are easy to use yet offer professional performance, so they are a sound investment for amateur photographers, too: “Camera sensors are constantly evolving, and so are photographers. Our Batis lenses are the perfect answer to these changing trends and herald a new era of professional photographers using mirrorless full-frame cameras,” says Pollmann.

The ZEISS Batis 2/25 and ZEISS Batis 1.8/85 lenses offer an initial choice of two focal lengths which have proved to be the most popular among users of the system: a moderate wide-angle focal length and a tele portrait focal length. The lenses make optimal use of the camera sensors, capturing every last detail with impressive contrast and high resolution. As well as offering fast and reliable autofocus, the lenses also support manual focusing, allowing users to choose the best option for each individual situation. The sleek, modern design – with smooth surfaces reminiscent of the high-end ZEISS Otus lenses – emphasizes the superior quality of this new lens family and gives the Batis lenses an unmistakable look and feel.

Preorder links:
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 85mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).
Lens shade for 25mm at Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here).

Adobe announced both the cloud and standalone version of the new Lightroom 6! Here are the preorder links (only Adorama now working):
Lightroom CC at Adobe (Click here).
Lightroom 6 at Adobe (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).

New features:
Facial Recognition, new panorama, new brushes for graduated and radial filters, more slideshow options, HDR (high dynamic range), as well as significant speedups (up to 1000% faster!). Also the mobile APP of Lightroom got improved with segmented view, easier rating method, improved crop and copy and paste modus. Lightroom CC will be available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography subscription ($9.99 per month) or as a standalone for $149.

Video of the Facial Recognition in Lightroom CC:

via 43rumors:

The Reasons Why Gary Fong Switched From Canon and Nikon To Sony

Gold BOx on the Rx100m2 in Germany (via DL).
Lossless RAW petition on Change.
Zeiss Loxia 2/35 review on Fstoppers.
16-35mm review at Mirrorlessons.
Kathmandu, Nepal with the Sony A7s and the Mitakon 50mm f.95 by Judd Weiss
Pics with Zeiss Distagon FE 35mm f/1.4 (SonyAlphaForum).
35mm Distagon review by Jorge Torralba.
Fog gallery taken with A7 II and X-T1 (Mirrorlessons).

Jerry: “I have now owned both a Sony a7 and an a7II.
One of the very few shortcomings, as noted in practically all reviews on these cameras though, is the fact that if you want to use its LCD finder on the back, and hold the camera down at waist level, which in many cases shades the camera’s eyepiece sensor heavily, the sensor within the EVF’s rubber hood thinks the camera is being held to your eye and turns the LCD completely off in favor of the EVF only. Of course, there’s the menu setting on the camera to set one or the other SOLELY, but this is a hassle when you need to switch back and forth frequently .
I finally discovered a simple fix to remedy this very aggravating situation using a product called Light Dims, which are little  inexpensive, stick-on pre-cot pieces of a neutral gray shading material actually made for putting over glaring, bright LED’s that are overly bright and irritate you at night or in dark places.
By simply cutting a 3mm X 5mm piece of this material and applying it over the left half of the EVF sensor window, the sensor functions perfectly and the LCD remains on even in very low light, plus the EVF still switches on again automatically when the camera is held up to your eye! This is an incredibly simple fix that many Sony a7 users have wrestled with for months and have hoped and hoped that Sony would correct via a firmware update! It seems to work for all the Sony a7 models including the a7, a7R, a7II and a7S. These little gadgets are available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/LightDims-Original-Strength%C2%AE-Minimal-Packaging/dp/B00CLVEQCO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428490110&sr=8-1&keywords=lightdims) or directly from the company at: www.lightdims.com
I am in no way affiliated with the company and have no vested interest. I just discovered this from another post on a Sony a7 forum, tried it and was super impressed.”

Peter: “i Tried SONY a6000 + HOYA 28mm F2.8 reverse for macro shooting. This is probably cheapest alternative for macro lens. Work perfectly on Full Frame A7R as well.
http://www.izzino.sk/hoya-28mm-f2-8/
http://www.izzino.sk/hoya-28mm-f2-8-sample/“

David Mathar on SonyAlphaForum.
Bavarian mornings
sony a99 + 135 1.8 za

1) Submit your picture with a message and picture here: facebook.com/sonyalpharumors or on the SonyAlphaForum image section.
2) Like and comment the pictures from other readers here: facebook.com/sonyalpharumors/photos_stream?tab=photos and on SonyAlphaForum.
3) A selection of most liked pictures by the community and by me SAR admin will be posted weekly on SAR.

Note: When sending a pic feel free to also add a link to your site to promote yourself!

Carl Zeiss 35mm F1.4 Lens Review

Sony a7R as a sports camera at NBA games (SonyAlphaForum).
Getting The Best From Your Camera Sony RX100 III (Bretthigginsphotography).
Exaltación de Bandas Semana Santa Almudévar 2015 Olympus E-M5 Mark II (Youtube).
Lensbaby Velvet 56mm f/1.6 real-world sample gallery posted (Dpreview).
5MM 1.4 ZEISS alla mano: prime impressioni! (MSCfoto).
Lucky octopus finds photography job at a New Zealand aquarium (Engadget).
Sony 55mm f/1.8 review by Michael Comeau.
Zeiss OTUS 85/1.4 & Sony A7r review at DearSusans.

Alexandre: “I shot a famous Cosplay Event in Bangkok with beautiful models and costumes. I used my Sony A7R and the Zeiss Lens 55mmF1.8 .
http://traveljournalist.com/cosplay-pretty-thailand-japan-anime-music-5/”

Jason: “Thought I’d share a Teaser video produced for Alpine Electronics for their new Navigation Solution for the Jeep Wrangler! Was shot on the A7s with Atomos Shogun in 4K. Here it is: https://vimeo.com/124259341”

Paul: “I created a little blog post step by step tutorial on how to use the Sony PlayMemories app with the iPhone to move photos from camera to phone to web (also using Instagram and PicTapGo).
http://paulfgeroblog.com/step-by-step-guide-to-using-sony-wi-fi-with-play-memories-pictapgo-instagram/”

Jason: “Its funny because I own an a7s and hated the monitor shut off problem because the sensor was too sensitive. A customer emailed me about this below showing how my invention LightDims solves the problem. http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/topic112228_post1352754.html#1352754“

It’s big rumor time and some of you reading the website may have “heard” some info they would like to share. There are two ways you can do it anonymously:

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Here is the contact form embedded for this occasion in this post:

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And for SAR readers this is the rumor recap so far:
SR5: New camera announcement on April 23
SR4: New E-mount camera announcement will follow in May
SR4: Either A-mount or/and RX announcement on April 23
SR4: A6000 successor is coming
SR4: RX100m4 with Four Thirds sensor
SR4: A7rII is in production
SR3: High Megapixel A-mount camera in development
SR5: Definitely a PRO E-mount camera in the works (release date unclear)