The new Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 FE will start shipping out in late Spring and price will make “everybody happy”

Marc Morris from Tamron shared some tidbits about the new Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 FE lens:

  • weather sealed
  • super fast AF
  • very low price (SAR note: I bet it’s nearly half the price of the Sony GM 70-200)
  • shipment start in late Spring

Here is the interview:

I also heard from one of my sources that:

  • Lens MTF at f/2.8 shows that at least at 70mm and 180mm the lens is sharper than the Sony GM 70-200
  • VXD motor is incredibly fast and is able to focus across its focusing range almost instantly

And this is the size comparison with the Sony GM 70-200:

Can’t wait to buy this one!

 

Fuji announced the X-T4 but Coronavirus Outbreak Pushes Shipping Back to Late April/Early May

Just now Fuji announced the new X-T4 (specs here). It’s the most advanced APS-C camera yet. Fujirumors reports that the camera will ship in late April or early May at earliest because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

I guess that all manufacturers including Sony will have issues with the production too. If things get even worse we might get a new A7IV or A7sIV in very late 2020 only :(

Full coverage at Fujirumors.

Sony 20mm f/1.8 FE G lens officially announced!

Preorders:
Sony 20mm f/1.8 FE G at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama. FocusCamera. Amazon DE. Calumet DE. Amazon UK. Parkcameras UK. Amazon FR. Amazon IT.

Hands-on and reviews:
Review by Albert Dros. Review by Nate Luebbe. Review by Terry Donnelly. Review by Colby Brown. Review at PCMag. Test at Cinema5D. First french test at LeMondeDeLaPhoto. Preview at CameraLabs. German test at DigitalKamera.

Press text:
Full official press text on SAR. Product page at Sony UK. Press text at Dpreview. Press text on Explora.

Sample images:
Sample images at Sony. Sample images at Dpreview. Image samples on Alphauniverse. Milky way shots at Pantip.

Videos:

Videos in non-english language:

MTF graphs:

Product images:

 

Poll:

Do you like the new Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens?

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Press text: Sony Expands Full-Frame Lens Line-up with Introduction of New Large-aperture Ultra-wide-angle Prime Lens

Sony Expands Full-Frame Lens Line-up with Introduction of New Large-aperture Ultra-wide-angle Prime Lens

New FE 20mm F1.8 G is widest full-frame prime lens in E-mount lineup.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sony Contacts:

Cheryl Goodman, Corporate Communications • selpr@sony.com • 858.942.4079

Caroline Mizuki, Imaging Products & Solutions Americas • caroline.mizuki@sony.com • 858.951.6271

SAN DIEGO – February 25, 2020 – Adding to its extensive range of native mirrorless full-frame lenses, Sony Electronics today announced the launch of the new G Lens™ series FE 20mm F1.8 G (model name SEL20F18G), perfect for a variety of creative needs including portraits, astrophotography, landscape and street photography, as well as capturing impressive video. Ensuring exceptional G Lens resolution and bokeh, the FE 20mm F1.8 G is a compact, lightweight, ultra-wide prime lens – the widest full-frame prime lens in Sony’s E-mount lineup – giving users a new resource for stretching the boundaries of their artistic imaginations.

The impressive lens design features two advanced aspherical (AA) elements and three extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements to suppress chromatic aberration and delivers high corner-to-corner image quality with minimal distortion, even at the maximum F1.8 aperture. It has excellent close-up performance, with a minimum focus distance of 7.5 inches (max. magnification: 0.2 times), and delivers beautifully de-focused backgrounds, or bokeh. For challenging subjects like night scenes or starry skies, the FE 20mm F1.8 G delivers crisp and clear images thanks to its advanced optical design that accurately reproduces point light sources with high contrast and minimum sagittal flare.

The compact design and versatility of the FE 20mm F1.8 G makes it the perfect all-inclusive lens for photographers and videographers. Weighing only 13.2 oz (373g), its small size and light weight make it truly mobile when used with compact E-mount bodies as part of a well-balanced system that is ideal for use on gimbals or accessory grips.

In addition, the use of two extreme dynamic (XD) Linear Motors delivers fast, precise and quiet autofocus for both stills and video shooting.

Designed to be dust and moisture resistant[i] and having a fluorine front element coating, the FE 20mm F1.8 G is highly reliable and easy to operate. It also features a customizable focus-hold button and aperture ring with a click on/off switch and is compatible with a variety of 67mm filters for extra creative control.

“We’re driven by the needs of our customers and will continue developing the best tools to meet their creative ambitions,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics.  “Our 56th E-mount lens, the new FE 20mm F1.8 G, is fast, lightweight and extremely versatile, giving creators yet another compelling tool to help realize their vision.”

Pricing and Availability

The FE 20mm F1.8 G will be available in March 2020 for a suggested retail price of $899.99 USD and $1,199.99 CAD.

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new lens and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony’s α – Alpha brand.

https://alphauniverse.com/stories/sony-announces-new-fast-ultra-wide-angle-prime-lens/

New content will also be posted directly at the Sony Photo Gallery and the Sony Camera Channel on YouTube. For detailed product information, please visit:

(US) –  FE 20mm F1.8 G

(Canada) – FE 20mm F1.8 G

Product Video

A product video on the new FE 20mm F1.8 G can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/Vm-KcmAOz_Y

 

About Sony Electronics Inc.

Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Corporation (Japan), one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.

Seems like there is no livestream…just a bogus test video

There is no live-stream going to happen today. The Sony live video I spotted yesterday was just a void test run. This also seems to confirm that today we will only get the new 20mm f/1.8 FE G lens.

Note: The bogus video can be found at Alphauniverse when clicking on the button over “Event Posts”:

You will see 6 minutes of simple audio test :(

Something else:
Fuji just had to delay the market release of the new X-T200. While Fuji doesn’t mention the cause I am sure it has to do with the Coronavirus outbreak. And this might be also the reason why Sony will NOT announce their already registered compact camera today?

Press text: Sony and ZEISS to expand strategic collaboration to Xperia smartphones

Tokyo/Japan, Oberkochen/Germany, 24 February 2020 – Sony and ZEISS today jointly announced their strategic collaboration expansion from digital imaging to Xperia smartphones.

Sony’s new flagship smartphone Xperia 1 II will feature ZEISS optics with T* (T-Star) anti-reflective coating to enhance the quality of images and deliver the best photography experience to consumers. Xperia 1 II offers the world’s first1 smartphone with up to 20fps2 AF/AE tracking burst and 5G connectivity for a complete creative entertainment experience.

Sony and ZEISS have built on the long-shared history and expertise since the launch of Sony’s first video Hi8 HandycamⓇ CCD-TR555 in 1996. Over the past few decades, this strategic collaboration has evolved to include digital still cameras, such as Cyber-shot RX series, α™ (Alpha™) camera lenses, and 4K HandycamⓇ camcorders.

Sony and ZEISS are founded on a shared passion for innovation and continue to pursue their joint ambition to empower and expand the best quality imaging experience to wider consumers.

“For a quarter of a century of the strategic collaboration between ZEISS and Sony, we have strived to promote the evolution of digital imaging products and diversify the way and occasions users take pictures. Using our technologies and expertise in the fields of optics and electronics as well as our strong drive to create new value through innovation, we have enabled users to display their creativity,” said Shigeki Ishizuka, Senior Executive Vice President, Officer in charge of Electronics Products & Solutions Business, Sony Corporation. “We will deliver new photography experiences with smartphones through the expansion of our strategic collaboration.”

“What Sony and ZEISS started in 1996 is now a powerful partnership with a clear mission: to set new standards in digital photography. We share a deep passion for photography as well as the will to anticipate new technologies. Bolstered by the spirit to push the limits of the imagination and our unique optical expertise acquired over more than 170 years, ZEISS is introducing essential elements for the next level of smartphone imaging”, said Jörg Schmitz, Executive Vice President, Head of ZEISS Consumer Products. “Seeing beyond borders and pushing limits is what motivates us to break new ground in smartphone imaging together with Sony.”

  • 1Xperia 1 II’s camera features up to 20 fps AF/AE continuous shooting with tracking. Xperia 1 II produces in-focus photos at up to 20 fps by continuously calculates AF/AE up to 60 times/second. Verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX Service against the published camera specifications for over 16,000 smartphones. Correct as of the 23rd February 2020.
  • 2Up to 20fps burst shooting with AF/AE is available for 24mm camera. 16mm and 70mm camera can shot up to 10fps AF/AE. This function can be taken with “Photography Pro”. Effective when drive mode is “Hi”. Effective when shutter speed is 1/100 second or faster. It may vary depending on the shooting environment. Maximum fps will depend on shooting environment and settings.
  • *All listed product names listed here are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation or of their respective owners.
  • *ZEISS is a registered trademark of Carl Zeiss AG.