In a recent video, photographer Patrick shares his excitement for Sony’s latest telephoto lenses—and makes a compelling case for the next one Sony should build: a 500mm f/4 G Master.

Patrick praises the outstanding performance of the Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS and the new Sony 50-150mm f/2.8 G Master, calling them “game-changing” for sports and wildlife photography. He’s already planning to bring the 50-150mm GM to the sidelines of high school basketball games this fall.

“The 300mm f/2.8 and 50-150mm f/2.8 together give me such incredible versatility. But there’s still one lens missing.”

Why Sony should release a 500mm f/4 GM
Patrick argues that a 500mm f/4 would perfectly complete Sony’s long lens lineup—filling the gap between the Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS and the Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS. He wants a lighter, more affordable super-telephoto that still delivers that razor-sharp “eye candy” look you only get past 400mm.

According to him, in the old days of prime-only setups, the 300/500/600 trio was a common focal-length progression. Today, a 500mm f/4 GM would make a lot more sense than jumping straight from 300mm to the massive 600mm.

Other lenses on his wish list:

• A lightweight, budget-friendly 300mm f/4 G (non-GM) lens for birders and enthusiasts
• More telephoto lenses with built-in 1.4x converters
• Possibly even a 200mm f/2 G Master to rival Canon and Nikon’s legacy primes

Patrick ends the video with a clear message to Sony:

“If you build a 500mm f/4 G Master, I will buy it. No question.”

What do you think? Should Sony add a 500mm f/4 GM to the lineup? What long lens are you still waiting for?

Check out the lenses Patrick mentioned:

Sony 50-150mm f/2.0 G Master (BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, WexUK)

Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS (BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, WexUK)

Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS (BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, WexUK)

Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS (BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, WexUK)

On August 31 at 2pm eastern time you are kindly invited to follow the new BHphoto Creator Table event (Click here):

On August 30 Viltrox will launch this new 56mm f/1.2 APS-C E-mount AF lens. This lens is likely to be priced close to $600 just like the current 27 and 75mm f/1.2 E lenses:

Hasselblad X2D II at B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama, FotoKoch, Foto Erhardt, Calumet DE, WexUK.

DJI owned Hasselblad has officially unveiled the new X2D II medium format camera  (B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama) with the well known 100MP Sony sensor (Press text on Explora). But this new release is absolutely worth your attention because of a couple of exciting features:

• 10-stop IBIS – That’s right. The X2D II offers the world’s most powerful in-body stabilization to date.
• Integrated LIDAR autofocus – A world first: Hasselblad has built in a LIDAR module for ultra-precise focusing, even in challenging low-light conditions.
• Internal 1TB SSD – No need to juggle cards; shoot confidently with fast internal storage.
• Minimal, elegant Scandinavian design (and simplified UI) – As always, Hasselblad pairs premium aesthetics with top-tier imaging tech and simple UI

The X2D II is a glimpse of where camera tech is heading—and it’s built around a Sony sensor. Its LIDAR AF system, class-leading IBIS and simplified UI are the kind of innovations we’d love to see Sony adopt in future Alpha and Cine gear.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C Specifications:

• 100MP BSI CMOS medium format sensor
• 16-bit colour depth, 15.3 stops dynamic range
• Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution with HDR
• AF-C continuous autofocus, 425 PDAF zones
• 5-axis, 10-stop in-body image stabilisation
• ISO 50 native sensitivity
• 1TB internal SSD storage + CFexpress Type B slot
• 3.6-inch OLED tilting screen, 1400-nit brightness
• Weight: 7.5% lighter than X2D 100C
• Graphite grey matte finish, redesigned ergonomic grip

Preorder the Hasselblad X2D II: B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama, FotoKoch, Foto Erhardt, Calumet DE, WexUK.

The Sony FX3 got a massive firmware update! Here are the info from Sony.com:

Benefits and Improvements

• Adds a home screen (BIG6) where you can easily review the shooting settings and equipment configurations when shooting movies
• Adds a Fixed/Variable mode that supports S&Q shooting settings by directly specifying the shooting frame rate without needing to set the S&Q mode
• Adds support for the Focus Magnifier and Auto Magnifier in MF settings while using the Bright Monitoring feature
• Adds 1.5x and 1.6x magnifications to the De-Squeeze Display
• With RAW video output via HDMI, external recording of Blackmagic RAW has become possible
  • We recommend checking with Blackmagic Design regarding the corresponding Blackmagic Design products.
• Allows the camera to automatically recognize the USB-LAN conversion adapter (sold separately) and connect to the network when powered on
• Allows the remaining capacity of both storage devices to be displayed during movie recording when using Simult. or Auto Switch Media (Relay Recording)
• Allows the optical density of pre-registered ND filters to be recorded in the metadata
• Allows the filtering of camera images for smartphone transfer and FTP transfer using Clip Flag
• Allows the direct upload of camera videos to Creators’ Cloud based on OK/NG/KEEP flags
  • Settings must be adjusted in the Creators’ App in advance. For more information, please visit the Creators’ App support website.
  • Ver. 3.1.0 or later of the Creators’ App is necessary.
  • This service may not be available in some countries or regions.
  • For more information, please visit the Creators’ Cloud support website.
• Supports the following Monitor & Control app functions:
  • Manual framing function
  • Attach Clip Flag

  Notes:

  • Ver. 2.4.0 or later of the Monitor & Control app is necessary.
  • The Monitor & Control app may not be available in some countries or regions.
• The Security (IPsec) functionality is no longer supported. Please enable and use Access Authen. as it provides more secure protection
• WPA and WEP functionalities are no longer supported. You will no longer be able to select WPA or WEP when connecting to Wi-Fi. Please use the more secure WPA2 or WPA3 moving forward
• Improves the operational stability of the camera

Note: Please refer to the Help Guide for details on all updated functions.

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Also the Sony FX30 got firmware update! Here are the info from Sony.com:

With its global shutter, the Sony A9 III erases motion distortion—though it won’t prevent a photographer from motion himself into the shot at the US Open 🙂

Here is the video showing what happened:

When you said you wanted a lightweight lens… this isn’t what I meant 🤦‍♂️

This is the lens: https://amzn.to/4oS1GLI

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found on Weibo