Size comparison by Camerasize.

Today Canon started the preorder action on the Canon 5ds which costs $3699 at BHphoto. We will have to wait a couple of months to see both the Canon 5ds and (a bit later) the “rumored” Sony 50MP cam shipping to customers. But in the meantime let’s check out how the Canon 50MP sensor compares to the Sony 36Mp sensor used by the Nikon D810 camera which is the same sensor used by the Sony A7r. Imaging Resource posted the very first comparison of that kind:

So as expected the jump from 36 to 50MP isn’t that big deal.

Let’s read a review that’s not so “positive” about the new FE 24-240mm lens. It has been posted by Jörg Haag (Click here). He posted plenty of image samples and tests and I am only reporting his conclusions here:

My personal verdict on this lens: I am not going to buy it, because:

1. Superzooms never really work out for me and my way of photography. Actually, I rarely use focal lengths above 100mm when hiking or on travel. When I need those focal lengths it is for special situations like sports, portraiture or wildlife and for this I pack the adequate lenses.
2. This lens is not really giving me a buzz for the price of a little below 1,000 Euro. Maybe 3 hours is not enough, but we did not build a relationship like I did with other lenses.
3. I find this lens a little to heavy for a constant use on the A7 and to slow which was clearly showing when using with AF-Tracking on the alpha 6000 (sorry, but I don’t have the release for those pictures).

But – yes, there is one – if you are looking for the perfect allrounder to use on a Sony full-frame mirrorless and you are just starting to build your lens line-up, the FE 24-240mm F3,5-6,3 OSS certainly is a good alternative delivering brilliant image quality throughout the entire focal range. Of course, a superzoom is a trade-off, is a trade-off, is a trade-off.

And DSLRmagazine (google translation here) tested the converters for the 28mm FE lens.

All new FE lens preorder links:
In USA at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Fisheye Converter for E 16mm F/2.8 and E 20mm F/2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Converter for E 16mm F2.8 and E 20mm F2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide Angle converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
In Asia/Australia at:
Sony 24-240mm FE lens at Digitalrev, CameraPRO, Sony Australia.
Sony 28mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Sony 90mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.

We have a triple review of the new 28mm lens. The lens is already shipping in Asia (Digitalrev) and [shoplink 34726 ebay]Germany (eBay)[/shoplink]. Preorders at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto. And Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT. So let’s take a look at how good the lens is:

DSLRmagazine (google translation here) posted the full FE 28mm lens review:

– There is significant Vignetting and Distortion on RAW files. JPG files are very well corrected.
– Reliable and relatively fast autofocusing
– Extraordinary anti flare resistance
– Tonal range and detail are excellent
– High resolution in the center. It’s ok in the corner
– Overall this is a very good lens for the price even if relies heavily on in camera correction fo Vignetting and Distortion.

DR.F0x posted a lens review on Deviantart. And in very short these are his key findings:

This build of this lens is great with full metal. At minimum focus distance and wide open (F2), the sharpness is acceptable, which is not as sharp as the SEL 50mm f/1.8. Quite strong CA at wide open and it’s gone completely at f/4. At closest focus distance, the bokeh is smooth, but at longer distance, it’s not very great.

Sony FE 28/2 First Impressions Review at BackgroundandBlur:

At 200 grams this lens is half the weight and a fraction of the bulk of the equivalent Nikon 28mm f/1.8G. Sony has really pulled something off here. At the price it should be a no brainer for most A7 users. Together with the Sony Zeiss FE 55/1.8, A7 users now have two fast and high quality autofocus primes for the system. An in-depth review is coming soon, after I spend some more time with this lens.

All new FE lens preorder links:
In USA at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Fisheye Converter for E 16mm F/2.8 and E 20mm F/2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Converter for E 16mm F2.8 and E 20mm F2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide Angle converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
In Asia/Australia at:
Sony 24-240mm FE lens at Digitalrev, CameraPRO, Sony Australia.
Sony 28mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Sony 90mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.

The Spanish site DSLRmagazine (google translation here) tested the new Sony FE 24-240mm lens. Those are some of the findings:

Cons:
– I’ts slow at the tele end (f/6.3)
– It relies heavily on in camera digital correction. RAW files have to be worked out in postproduction and may look very different from the JPEG.
– The weight of the lens moves the balance towards the lens (tremor issue at handheld shooting). Keep it mind if you use it on High Megapixel camera.
PROS:
– One the good side the RAW images taken at the tele end need little adjustments.
– Absolutely no flare issues
– negligible chromatic aberrations
– Image quality is very good (particularly JPG. With RAW you may have to work a bit).

Overall the reviewer says that the lens is very good for the one goal it has been designed: Travel zoom for amateurs and enthusiasts.

To the same conclusions comes Quesabesde (google translation here). This is not a lens for those who care about ultimate image quality, this is a lens for those who want to have good quality in a light package.

All new FE lens preorder links:
In USA at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Fisheye Converter for E 16mm F/2.8 and E 20mm F/2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Converter for E 16mm F2.8 and E 20mm F2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide Angle converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
In Asia/Australia at:
Sony 24-240mm FE lens at Digitalrev, CameraPRO, Sony Australia.
Sony 28mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Sony 90mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.

The 24-240mm FE lens is now shipping in many countires like at at [shoplink 34525 ebay]Fotomundus Germany (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 34524 ebay]eBay UK (Click here)[/shoplink] and Digitalrev. And it will ship within the next 1-2 days in USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony US.

First owners are sharing their tests and samples:
Plenty of image samples by Mark Galer on Flickr.
Image samples and test at Mapcamera (google translation here). They say it has a “images have a nice tridimensional feeling, blur is good and contrast also”. Overall the lens has a surprisingly good optical quality.
Onwers report on Dpreview forum.
Spanish hands-on video on Youtube.
Weird unboxing video on Youtube.

Let me know if you get your 24-240mm and share your findings at Sonyalphaforum.com.

Reminder: BHphoto (Click here) tested the Sony 24-240mm lens and wrote:

In my rudimentary testing I can say that when I focused on something at the telephoto end and zoomed out, the focus did not shift noticeably, which is a big plus. The main drawbacks for video are the stiff zoom barrel, as well as the distortion, which is not as easily corrected for video users. Still, if you have to have a large zoom range and don’t want to splurge for the Sony FE PZ 28-135 lens, then this is certainly a viable option.
It’s not going to be the sharpest or most light-sensitive lens but, in my testing, I think it does well enough to use in place of other FE lenses—in most circumstances.

All new FE lens preorder links:
In USA at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera, Sony US.
Sony Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Fisheye Converter for E 16mm F/2.8 and E 20mm F/2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Converter for E 16mm F2.8 and E 20mm F2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide Angle converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
In Asia/Australia at:
Sony 24-240mm FE lens at Digitalrev, CameraPRO, Sony Australia.
Sony 28mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Sony 90mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.

SAR note: This is a guest post from Carbon Studio. If you want to write for SAR contact me (Andrea) at sonyalpharumors@gmail.com. Thanks!

—–

“Perspective”

The Sony A7s has proven to be one powerful little camera. After our previous video, “Moonlight” https://vimeo.com/105690274
we showed the high ISO capability and how well it did filming in complete moonlit situations. We wanted to explore the option of recording 4K with it.

We were given the opportunity of flying around San Francisco, CA at night and film the city. So we got ahold of an Atoms Shogun and started our plan of attack.
On the day of filming got our gear packed and headed to the airport. We used the Movi M5, Sony A7s, and the Atomos Shogun. Such a light set up and a guaranteed powerful combination.

The Sony A7s has an amazing dynamic range when filming. I have been noticing that it picks up a lot of ambient light.
It made the buildings seem fake, sort of CGI, with the amount of light it was able to bring in.
As you can see in the photos below, these are ungraded frame grabs from the 4K.

I’m am really impressed with the amount of resolution this little camera can output in video. We filled up about one 480gb San disk SSD during the flight which is a manageable size for the amount of footage we collected.

The light form factor mixed with the powerful images it produces, makes this my favorite camera to shoot with on just about any shoot. It makes filming with a Movi or a Ronin effortless with its weight.

Here is the video:

Perspective | 4K from Carbon Studios on Vimeo.

Sony A7s store links:
Sony A7s in USA/CA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony USA, Sony Canada.
Sony A7s in Eu at Sony DE, UK, ES, FR, IT, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, NO, FI, PL. And Wex UK.
A7s Gariz leather case in [shoplink 27569 ebay]Black (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 27570 ebay]Brown (Click here)[/shoplink], [shoplink 27571 ebay]Red (Click here)[/shoplink] and [shoplink 27572 ebay]Orange (Click here)[/shoplink].

SLRgear (Click here) is the first site having published a full detailed review of the new Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens. They write:

Image quality from the new 35mm ƒ/1.4 lens is very good, with excellent sharpness — though being an ƒ/1.4 optic, there is some softness, especially in the corners, when shot wide-open. Other optical qualities such as CA and distortion control are also very good, and while vignetting is understandable strong at ƒ/1.4, it’s less of an issue at smaller aperture.
Overall, Sony has produced yet another very good lens for the A7-series cameras — a super-solid lens with excellent build quality, a nice feel and great image quality. Sure, it’s significantly larger, heavier and more expensive than the earlier FE 35mm ƒ/2.8 lens, but if you’re a professional or advanced enthusiast photographer in need of a superior low-light lens for the your full-frame Sony mirrorless camera, this is the one to consider.

The Zeiss can be preordered here:
in USA at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
in Europe at Sony Germany, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony IT, Sony ES, Sony NL, Sony BE, Sony AT, Sony CH, Sony SE, Sony FI, Sony NO, Sony PT.
in Asia/Australia at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.

What’s hot with the lens:
– The lens has super fast Direct Drive focusing
– Advanced Aspherical Lens
– Aperture ring with click or clickless switch
– It’s weather sealed

All new FE lens preorder links:
In USA at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony US.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony US.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony US.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony US.
Sony Fisheye Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Conversion Lens for FE 28mm F/2 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Fisheye Converter for E 16mm F/2.8 and E 20mm F/2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony Ultra-Wide Converter for E 16mm F2.8 and E 20mm F2.8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
In Europe at:
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 90mm f/2.8 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 24-240mm FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Sony 28mm f/2.0 FE at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide Angle converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter at Sony Germany, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, SE, FI, NO, PT.
In Asia/Australia at:
Sony 24-240mm FE lens at Digitalrev, CameraPRO, Sony Australia.
Sony 28mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Sony 90mm FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Wide angle converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.
Fisheye converter for 16 and 20mm lenses at Digitalrev, Sony Australia.