Imaging Resource posted a first preview of the new 70-300mm FE lens:

The I.S. system did its job though, and the image turned our fairly sharp, though the depth of field is quite shallow so the sharpness is limited to the rather thin plane of focus. There is a slight trace of noise, but it’s not bad at all and likely of the variety easily removed, especially if processing from the RAW file

Autofocus employs a linear actuator which is reported to offer fast and precise AF performance, and I found this to be true in my own shooting experiences. On the A7 II I rarely had to wait for much if any “hunting” except a few times when the light got low at dusk.

New FE lens store links:
FE 70-300mm at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. Jessops.
FE 50mm f/1.8 at Amazon. BHphoto. Adorama. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. Jessops.

Mobile01 from Taiwan published a full 85mm GM review with many “sexy” lens images :)

Here are brand new reviews you may be interested to check out:

Photographyblog reviewed the 85mm GM lens:

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is an outstanding prime lens for portraiture, offering a winning combination of sharpness and very appealing bokeh. Shooting at the maximum f/1.4 aperture does reveal a minor reduction in sharpness, but this is already resolved by f/2, and even at this aperture the lens is able to produce beautifully smooth bokeh and completely blurred backgrounds. Vignetting is apparent when shooting wide-open at f/1.4, but quickly disappears as you stop down, while chromatic aberrations are very well controlled.

85mm GM Store links at [shopcountry 47395].

Mirrorlessons compared the Sony a6300 vs. Fuji X-Pro2:

The Fujifilm X-Pro2 is a professional camera that shows what Fujifilm is capable of doing in 2016. It doesn’t have the most impressive numbers if we purely consider specifications, but when it comes to substance, it is one of the best on the market right now.
The a6300 has a more attractive price and its performance is the same, if not slightly better. The video capabilities are clearly superior. If you can cope with some flaws in the user experience, there’s no doubt it is the best mirrorless camera you can find right now when it comes to quality/price.

A6300 Store links at [shopcountry 47396].

Admiringlight tested the new Sigma 30mm f/1.4 E-mount lens:

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a lens that generally performs well for its price point, but it falls short of the outstanding performance of the Art series Sigma mirrorless primes. If you’re shooting closer up, the lens is plenty sharp with nice bokeh and a nice rendering.  It’s also a well-built lens that feels notably better than its $339 price would suggest.  If you plan on using this lens mostly for shooting people or for street work, I think you’ll be very pleased with the 30mm f/1.4. It does a very nice job in these situations, producing images with a really nice look.

Sigma 30mm Store links at [shopcountry 47397].

Imaging Resource posted the Sony A6300 Field Test.

The Taiwanese site Mobile01 (google translation here) is the first website publishing a full review of the new Sony 50mm f/1.8 FE lens. They say the lens has a “surprisingly competent performance” on the very demanding high megapixel Sony A7rII. Here are some of their PROS and CONS:

• Bokeh in the center is good but deteriorates on the corners.
• It’s not tack sharp wide open but it’s a good performance for the money.
• It’s prone to purple fringing, flare and ghost
• fast enough autofocus

The FE 50mm f/1.8 is probably the best bang for the buck FE lens. And it’s set to ship next week at Amazon. BHphoto. Adorama. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. Jessops!

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New FE lens store links:
FE 50mm f/1.8 at Amazon. BHphoto. Adorama. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. Jessops.
FE 70-300mm at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. Jessops.

Sigma MC-11 vs Commlite adapter with Sony A7II and Canon 70-200F4L IS

The new Sigma MC-11 electronic adapter is now shipping through many stores (Check at [shopcountry 47259]). And there is a good news to report. Canon lenses seem to work just fine with it as you can see from those videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-yrwV-zfjk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0dXaSGRdzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-dRWx6NJWA (a6000 with mc11)

Review of Sigma MC-11 with Sigma 120-300 Art (Track&Field)

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Thanks Del!

Both Nikon F and Leica M lens owners can finally get autofocus E-mount adapter for their lenses. And here are two new videos about those. On top you can watch the [shoplink 44693 ebay]Commlite Nikon G to Sony FE AF adapter[/shoplink] Open box. And at Weixin you can see the Leica M autofocus adatper in action. A more detailed video test can be seen on that SAR post.

The Commlite can be bought for $349 on [shoplink 44693 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. The Leica M autofocus adapter will be for sale in a few weeks from now.

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Above you can see the new Lim Metal-leather hybrid case made for the RX1rII. You can buy those on [shoplink 45232 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and Amazon (Click here).

Photographyblog posted their Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II Review:

Images are quite frankly superb directly from the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II. The amount of detail resolved is pretty much unparalleled, with gorgeous colours and decent low-light performance.
Last year the Leica Q emerged to take the crown from Sony in the full-frame fixed lens market. Now however, Sony has hit back with something which competes extremely well. There are benefits to both the systems, so it’s difficult to call an outright winner, but Sony has produced something very, very capable in the new Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II.

Imaging Resource writes:

The image quality, at both low and high ISOs, is just as impressive, if not more so, thanks to the big resolution increase. Plus, the nifty variable low-pass filter technology adds flexibility and convenience by combining what used to require two separate cameras into one device. The autofocus system gets a major upgrade, and now the RX1R II is a much more capable camera in a wider variety of situations. And although its fixed 35mm lens and a $3,300 price tag can be a limiting factor or a big strain on the wallet — or both — it’s nevertheless an excellent camera and a stunning feat of engineering. As our pick for the Best Enthusiast Fixed-lens Camera of 2015 in our Camera of Year Awards, there’s no question that the Sony RX1R II is a solid choice for a Dave’s Pick.

The RX1rII also won the Red Dot Award (Sony Japan).

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New RX1rII hot shoe cover from [shoplink 45227 ebay]Gariz on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

TP Original RX1rII case at Rakuten.

A photographer who wishes to remain anonymous just received his 15mm E mount Voigtlander Heliar. He shared those images and writes:

“Jesus it’s small…I never had the old one so I can’t comment but obviously there’s no longer the need for an adapter.  Turning the focus ring activates the in-viewfinder magnification. Falloff seems minimal, little distortion, no purple corners, very sharp in center, and very good at edges. Will need to do some real testing to comment authoritatively, but so far it’s all I hoped and expected it to be.  It’s TINY.  Did I say it’s very very small?”

The Heliar 15mm II for Sony E is in Stock at [shoplink 47157 ebay]FotoMundus (Worldwide shipment)[/shoplink] and will be in Stock soon at CameraQuest and Bhphoto.