First full Zeiss Otus 85 video review and RAW samples by Matt Granger and Ming Thein.

Matt Granger posted that great Zeiss Otus 85mm video review you can watch on top. And plenty of image samples including RAW files can be downloaded on his page: mattgranger.com/otus85mm.
Ming Thein alss posted his Zeiss review and indirectly explains also why this lens is best used on the Sony A7 cameras. He tested the lens on the Nikon D800 and focusing is a real challenge:

I think this is going to be the biggest hurdle for most users: even with my custom focusing screens, calibrated mirror and finder magnifier, it’s extremely challenging to consistently hit critical focus wide open. The viewfinder system is simply inadequate. The only optical finder-based method I’ve found that can nail focus involves racking it slowly while shooting a burst – disastrous for critical timing, but just fine for static subjects. Live view and a tripod is of course highly advisable

And if you read my previous post about the high resolution cameras from Sony this may be one of the few lenses capable of resolving a 50MP resolution on a Full Frame E-mount camera. But well, it comes at a high cost :(

Preorders:
BHphoto with Nikon mount (Click here) or Canon mount (Click here) version.
Adorama with Nikon mount (Click here) or Canon mount (Click here) version.

First Otus lens tests: Diglloyd says “sets a new standard all its own”.

Otus 1.4/85 ZF.2

Diglloyd posted his first impressions about the new Zeiss Otus 85mm lens:

The Otus 85/1.4 APO-Planar delivers the most transparently beautiful imagery I have ever seen on a DSLR…Including medium format Leica S, and the best Pentax medium format lens, the 90/2.8 macro. The Otus 85mm /1.4 APO-Planar sets a new standard all its own.

The Swedish site Fotosidan (google translation here) posted a short comparison with the Nikon 85mm lens:

Some bright lenses are deliberately drawing a soft at maximum aperture to get nice and soft background blur (bokeh). Zeiss has managed to combine high clarity with nice bokeh, see example image.

The lens can be preorderd at BHphoto with Nikon mount (Click here) or Canon mount (Click here) version.

UPDATE: RAW image samples can be downloaded at Mattgranger.com/otus85mm

New Zeiss Loxia image samples and MTF comparison with ZM lenses.

Reminder: The worldwide first Zeiss Loxia Full Frame E-mount lens preorder are now running at BHphoto:
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens for Sony E Mount (Click here).
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens for Sony E Mount (Click here)

Cinema5D had the new Loxia lenses in their hands and posted some image samples within their short preview.

For me, the two Loxias were the last missing pieces to make the A7s a perfect “go-anywhere-with-me” camera. They are built as nicely as the camera itself (metal housing) and the full package feels very much like a much more expensive Leica rangefinder camera. The nicest touch about the lenses is their very small size (apart from their built quality) – and I think that was the priority when they were designed. Typically for Zeiss, the lenses are extremely sharp and have hardly any noticeable distortion or vignetting (which can’t be said about all 50mm photo lenses on the market – I used the Canon f/1.4 50mm on the A7s before and while the image is very nice, the lens vignettes heavily when shooting wide open).

And the Korean site Dicahub compared the lens performance of the new Loxia with those of their “original” the [shoplink 9808 ebay]Biogon T* 2/35 ZM (here on eBay)[/shoplink] and the [shoplink 9809 ebay]Planar T* 2/50 ZM (here on eBay)[/shoplink].

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Sony A5100 tested at Cinema5d and Mobile01.

Familia Gladiatoria- A Sony A5100 review from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Cinema5D (Click here) tested the video performance of the A5100. Obviously this is not what the camera was made for:

The Sony A5100 is a basic entry level large sensor camera housing some professional features. It is a nice camera for the occasional family user. I’ll be surprised if any professional will find it useful for any of their video productions as the camera, the way it is, leaves a lot to be desired.

Mobile01 (Click here) posted many sexy images of the camera. And many image/video samples and ISO tests. Check it out even if you don’t can’t understand the text!

A5100 preorder link list:
A5100 black body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US, Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony NL, Sony IT,
A5100 black with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US.
A5100 white with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony RM-SPR1 Remote Commander with Multi Terminal, 2.6′ Cord at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Brown at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Black at Adorama.

New A5100 gets tested at Cinema5D. Shows impressive dynamic range and beats the 5dmarkIII.

Image courtesy: Cinema5D

The newly announced Sony A5100 got lab-tested by the Cinema5D team. As you can see from the graph on top the dynamic range is impressive for an APS-C camera:

In terms of dynamic range the Sony A5100 surprises with the measured results and beats most other important cameras we tested, even more expensive ones. As mentioned above the subjective impression we have about dynamic range on the A5100 is lower than the software results and can’t compete with the Sony A7s. It also shines in rolling shutter performance. Overall it seems Sony has built its latest processing technology into this little mirrorless camera, providing good lowlight noise levels as well, which however we see nowhere close the A7s (not tested scientifically yet).

Sounds really great!

A5100 preorder link list:
A5100 black body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US, Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony NL, Sony IT,
A5100 black with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US.
A5100 white with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony RM-SPR1 Remote Commander with Multi Terminal, 2.6′ Cord at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Brown at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Black at Adorama.

No buyers storm on the new Sony A5100 (says Amazon). New Sony A5100 tests and video roundup.


Detailed look at the Sony a5100 interchangeable lens camera (found via Nofilmschool)

While this isn’t a scientific measure I just checked the Amazon digital camera Best seller rankings (Click here) to see if the new Sony A5100 got many preorders (Amazon counts orders-preorders in that list). Well unlike the A6000 to other popular E-mount cameras the A5100 didn’t even make it into the top 100 of that list. Well this may changes if you check out that list of new reviews and videos :)

There is a short hands-on review in Thai but with plenty of great product pictures and image samples posted at Pantip.com (google translation here).

New A5100 videos on Youtube:
Sony A5100 Touch AF Demo
Sony A5100 Autofocus tracking and hi-speed shooting (6fps)
Sony A5100 video sample Full HD 50p
Sony A5100 video sample Full HD 50p with optical stabilisation
Sony A5100 AF-C Demo
sony a5100 camera menu

A5100 preorder link list:
A5100 black body at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US, Sony DE, Sony UK, Sony FR, Sony NL, Sony IT,
A5100 black with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Sony Store US.
A5100 white with kit lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Sony RM-SPR1 Remote Commander with Multi Terminal, 2.6′ Cord at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Brown at Adorama.
Sony LCS-EBD Body Case for Alpha NEX 5000 and 5100 Mirrorless Digital Camera, Leather Like Material, Black at Adorama.