Loxia 50mm lens tested at DxOmark: Almost as good as the superb 55mm FE lens!

50mmFE_Loxia

DxOmark (Click here) tested the Loxia 50mm lens. And the Loxia scores pretty close to what is yet the best autofocus lens ever tested at DxOmark…our 55mm FE lens! This is quite a good result and DxO writes:

“Anyone looking for a small, high-grade 50mm lens for the Sony A7-series cameras will find a lot to like about the Zeiss Loxia. Not only is it relatively small and lightweight compared with other lens options such as the 55mm Otus (which could be used with an adapter), it is a very good performer, not to mention a lot more accessibly priced. It’s still not cheap, of course, and somewhat bizarrely, it competes directly with the similarly-priced Sony-made Zeiss-designed 55mm f/1.8 which not only is a slightly better performer in the outer field, but is an autofocus model, which may appeal to a wider market. Still, the Loxia is a great lens, but choosing between it and the Sony model may come down to whether you prefer manual focus or not.”

Links to all Zeiss made FE Loxia and Batis lenses:
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens in US at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto. In Eu at Amazon DE, WexUK. In Asia at Digitalrev.
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0 lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto. In EU at Amazon DE, WexUK. In Asia at Digitalrev.
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens for Sony E Mount at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama., WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens for Sony E Mount at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 FE lens at BHphoto and Adorama. In Europe at WexUK.

New Sony A7rII reviews (Photoclubalpha, Popphoto, Ronmartblog).

sony-a7rIIgrey

For Europeans: Lowest price o the A7rII so far is for sale for 2900 Euro at [shoplink 41986 ebay]eBay UK (Click here)[/shoplink].

And here are the new Sony A7rII reviews:

David Kilpatrick at Photoclubalpha writes:

The A7R II almost matches medium format digital, and gives great results with rangefinder (Leica) fit wide-angles. It has enabled me to add a 12mm f/5.6 Voigtländer Ultra Wide-Heliar to my kit for sharp, tint and vignette free 120° architectural and creative work. I write about lenses, and with current and future adaptors, this body lets me focus and make test shots with all lenses from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Leica and many others.

Ronmartblog writes:

I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND this camera and do feel it is one of the best cameras I’ve ever tested. I also found its Eye AF feature to be worth the cost alone when photographing kids, so parents are sure to love this feature. The stabilization is also the best I’ve tested on a super high resolution camera, so the faster shutter speed requirements of the 5Ds/r and D810 don’t seem to be as applicable with this camera.

Popphoto writes:

When it comes to absolute resolution in the 35mm (full-frame) sensor format, this Sony still trails the Canon EOS 5Ds. However, the A7R II ends up being a more versatile camera as it stands up to low-light shooting better than the Canon, despite not being able to equal the low light AF performance. Add in 4K video capture, and a lower price, and the A7R II pulls further ahead. For some shooters, the difference in size and weight alone will be more important than the 4K capture.
Once again, Sony has found itself at the forefront of image capture. We look forward to seeing what happens next.

Sony A7Rii vs Sony A7Sii / 5 Things To Know (Michael The Mentor on Youtube).
A7R Mk 2 and new Lensbaby Composer Pro Mk2 50mm on Flickr.
Coffee shop photos w/ the a7RII using Sony & Canon glass (movetomirrorless)
Family portraits w/ the Sony a7RII and Zeiss & Canon lenses (movetomirrorless)
I just ordered A7Rii and Metabones–in camera settings? (SonyAlphaForum).

A7rII store list:
In USA at Amazon, BHphoto, AdoramaSonyStore US, FocusCamera, Uniquephoto.
In Europe at Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Wex UK and ParkCameras.
In Asia at Digitalrev, CameraPro.

Ben Moon licks the Loxia 21mm ;)

Ben Moon (image by Brian Matiash) seems to find the new Loxia 21mm very tasteful. Watch out…Zeiss lenses can make you addictive! :)

And now some more “serious” news about the new Loxia lens:
Zeiss LOXIA 21mm f/2.8 Sample Photos (ePhotozine).
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Hands-on Photos (Photographyblog).
First impressions by Mirrorlessons.
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Distagon Aperture Series: Bristlecone Sculpture on Slate Outcrop, Late Dusk (Diglloyd).

Loxia 21mm FE lens at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here). In Europe at WexUK (Click here).

New Sony A7sII test by Philip Bloom.


“After Darkness, light” Testing the low light of the Sony A7S II
from Philip Bloom Reviews & Tutorials on Vimeo.

Philip Bloom (Click here) posted his initial impressions of the Sony A7S II. Check it out!

More A7sII tests:
Sony A7SII Profile Test: https://vimeo.com/143344079
Sony A7s mark II vs the A7s Frontallobbings.
Sneak Peek: A Pro’s Take on the New Sony Alpha7S II (Vimeo).
The Sony a7S II – hands on and comparison to a7R II (Hireacamera).

Sony A7sII is now shipping in USA at Amazon, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Adorama. And in Europe/Asia at ParkCameras, WexUK, Jessops and Digitalrev.

New Sony A7rII tests and a reminder: A few in Stock for $2,699 only!

[shoplink 41931 ebay]A7rIi[/shoplink]

Hot reminder: $500 off on the grey imported and 1 year US warranty Sony A7rII sold by [shoplink 41931 ebay]Electronicsvalley on eBay US (Click here)[/shoplink]. Only a few left in Stock!


Fstoppers posted a Sony A7R II vs Canon 5DS R vs Nikon D810 Camera Shootout (video above). The conclusion is that switching system for the A7rII is yet not recommended:

The Sony A7RII is a great camera. If you don’t already have a lot of money invested in a camera system and 2.8 lenses aren’t a necessity right now, the A7RII may be a fantastic choice. I just didn’t feel like the Sony was able to outperform the DSLR competitors in an area other than 4k video recording. That leads me to conclude that the A7RII isn’t actually better than the D810 or 5DSR, it’s just a really great smaller option.

Sony 14 bit RAW. First impressions (DearSusans).
PIX2015 – Sony Alpha 7R II Technology at the Sony Booth by Dpreview.
Color test @ daylight ACR RAW by Marcio Cabral.
Hello, new to forum Canon user looking at A7RII (SonyAlphaForum).
Minolta 28-135 F4-4.5 (Handshake) on A7Rii w/ LAEA4 (SonyAlphaForum).
SONY A7RII + SEL28135G 4K Birds at the Beach (Youtube).
Shooting family portraits with the Sony a7RII and Zeiss & Canon lenses (movetomirrorless).
A7rII review at Chromadic.
Ongoing reviews of Leica M mount lenses on SONY A7RM2 from 12 – 135 mm at German DSLRforum.

Dave:Sony sent me an A7rII to try because I was considering dumping my Nikons and Fuji X T1 for their system. I used it on a big photo shoot up in Duluth, Superior, Bayfield and Northern Wisconsin. I loved the camera, but one deal breaking feature has stopped me from making the switch: the camera won’t shoot when writing to the card. So close to selling all my other gear, but that is a flaw I can’t live with. http://wisconsinbikefed.org/2015/10/09/testing-the-sony-a7rii-on-the-camba-and-coggs-trails/

A7rII store list:
In USA at Amazon, BHphoto, AdoramaSonyStore US, FocusCamera, Uniquephoto.
In Europe at Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Wex UK and ParkCameras.
In Asia at Digitalrev, CameraPro.

Nice Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM II introduction by Marc Galer.

Marc Galer made that nice and simple Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM II introduction video. It’s a great A-mount lens to use on your E-mount camera too!
Price check here: [shopcountry 41708]

Reminder: Open Box Sony and Zeiss lenses for sale:
[shoplink 41436 ebay]$300 off on the A7rII on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] [shoplink 41213 ebay]FE 24-240mm on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] [shoplink 41214 ebay]FE 24-70mm Zeiss on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] [shoplink 41215 ebay]E-mount APS-C 16-70mm Zeiss on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] [shoplink 41216 ebay]E-mount APS-C 18-200mm on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] [shoplink 41437 ebay]Silver A6000 kit on eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]

Photoplus Sony booth images and videos (look at that majestic Mitakon 135mm f/1.4 on the Sony).

Bildschirmfoto 2015-10-23 um 09.04.07

The PhotoPlus opened yesterday and the first Sony booth images and videos are being published on the web. A special mention goes to Emin Kuliyev who tried to shoot the new Mitakon 135mm f1.4 (3Kg!) with the Sony a7RII. See him on Youtube.

More reports:
What’s Happening at Sony and Samsung | Photo Plus Expo 2015 (Youtube).
Adorama Exclusive – PhotoPlus 2015: The Leica SL Camera (Youtube).
Adorama Exclusive – PhotoPlus 2015: Sony RX1R II, a7S II and a7R II (Youtube).
Adorama Exclusive – PhotoPlus 2015: Sony FS5 4K XDCAM Camera (Youtube).
What’s Happening at Sony and Samsung | Photo Plus Expo 2015 (Youtube).
Hands-On from the Mitakon booth with the 135/1.4 and 35mm f/0.95 for APS-C E-mount is now up on Admiring Light.
Hands-On with the Leica SL and Leica Q, including the 24-90 and 90-280mm lenses, with full size samples (Admiringlight).
Hands-On with the Sony RX1R II, Sony A7S II and Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8, including full size samples from the Loxia 21mm (Admiringlight).
Hands-On with the Fujifilm 35mm f/2 and 1.4x TC (Admiringlight).