35mm Sigma, Sony and SLR magic tests and news…

I just a couple of news and test all focusing on 35mm lenses:

1) The video on top shows a comparison between the Sony 35mm f/1.8, the SLR Magic 35mm f1.7 and the new SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 Cinelens E-mount lenses.

2) Matthew Durr tested the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS E-mount lens: “The 35mm f/1.8 is a fantastic lens, despite its focusing limitations dependent on CDAF. The only “real” knacks against it—heavy vignetting and noticeable fringing wide-open—can easily be worked around depending on the situation, what settings you shoot at, and how much post-processing you are used to doing.”

3) Another Sony 35mm E-mount review has been posted by BanBGanBoom on youtube. He compared the lens with the 50mm f/1.8 lens which he says is a tiny bit sharper.

4) An anonymous reader sent me this: “Just relaying info regarding release date of Sigmas 35… I was just billed by B&H for my preordered 35 (Click here). If this is not a mistake I assume it will be shipped on Monday as it is their policy to not bill until item is in.” Let’s hope the info is correct!

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Price and in Stock links to the mentioned lenses:
SLR magic 35mm 1.7 at Amazon and on [shoplink 3514 ebay]eBay[/shoplink].
Sigma 35mm A-mount lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and eBay Slidoo.
Sony E-Mount 35mm f/1.8 at [shopcountry 14169].

Sony NEX 6 Review At Cameralabs

Sony NEX 6 sample movie: continuous AF from Gordon Laing on Vimeo.

Cameralabs posted their [shoplink 14167]Sony NEX 6 (price & specs)[/shoplink] review. In the verdict they write:

For the first time the NEX series has a lens which perfectly complements its diminutive proportions. The E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS power zoom is small, lightweight and provides two zoom controls, the second of which also serves as a manual focus ring. With a 24mm super wide-angle extending to 75mm equivalent portrait length, it’s an excellent stabilised ‘standard’ zoom that doesn’t prevent you dropping the NEX-6 into your coat pocket.

But probably the biggest development is the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity coupled with downloadable apps that allow you to add to and extend the camera’s features. This is a very exctiing development indeed, and one which means that the camera is no longer limited to the set of features it left the factory with. Currently there are eight apps available for the NEX-6, but I’d expect to see app availablity expand over the coming months and years as new NEX models also incorporate this feature. Those apps will hopefully extend the ability of the NEX range to communicate with a wider range of social networks and photo sharing sites as well as adding new creative photography features.

The review comes with lots of samples and videos. Check it out!

Sony NEX 6 price and availability check: [shopcountry 14167] [via cameralabs]

Back To The Past: Minolta Lens Test With A77 by Michael Merto

Minolta Glass – Beercan from Michael Merto on Vimeo.

Michael Merto realized the video to showcase the performance of this old (but still amazing) Minolta glass, aptly named “The Beercan”:

The “Beercan” is probably the most well known of Minolta’s first generation AF glass. It is heavy. 70-210mm and a constant f4 is a pretty nice feature set considering ebay prices go around $150 US dollars. The autofocus is driven by the camera’s in-body motor and the glass is propelled by a screw. The zooming is in body so the barrel doesn’t extend as you zip across the range. It’s pretty long though and looks obscene mounted on the a77 without a grip. It’s sharp from around 5.6. The focus ring is narrow and not the best for full-time manual adjusting.

He used a [shoplink 8461]Sony A77 (price & specs)[/shoplink] with the Minolta.

The Beercan – Image credit: Michael Merto

Be sure to check the pics Michael shot with the Minolta 70-210mm f/4, and use slidoo.com to look for the lens on eBay.

Review: Minolta MD 50mm f/2 And Sony NEX-6 (thru RainbowImaging Adapter)

Jay at Sonyalphalab posted a nice review about using the Minolta MD 50mm f/2 lens with a [shoplink 14167]Sony NEX-6 (price & specs)[/shoplink]. Try out slidoo.com to easily find the lens at a bargain price. To use the Minolta with the NEX-6 a RainbowImaging adapter was used (click here to see it on Amazon).

The Minolta is a good old school lens. Jay writes:

Minolta MD Old School lenses are in another league of build quality compared to what we see today. They are heavier, beefier, simpler, and engineering excellence in my opinion. The fact that this lens is so old and it still works flawlessly is a sure sign of a well made product. It also means it was well maintained and not left in a garage somewhere for years.

The really cool thing is the focus peaking feature of the NEX-6. As Jay puts it:

As I said above in the into, the fully manual Minolta MD 50mm f/2 Lens is an absolute blast to use on the Sony Nex-6 thanks to the Focus Peaking feature!! It makes manual focusing cake, and I could not stop taking pictures of stuff in total newbie amazement

Be sure to check the pic he shot with the NEX-6 & Minolta 50mm combo (there are a lot of them to see).

Sony NEX-6 price check: [shopcountry 14167]

Shot with the NEX-6 and the Minolta 50mm. Image credits: sonyalphalab
[via sonyalphalab]

Yet Another Sony RX1 Review

Good morning Ladies and Gentleman. Sony’s little full frame gem gets review after reviews. The [shoplink 15824]Sony RX1 (price & specs)[/shoplink], the world’s smallest digital full-frame camera, and its high quality 35mm f/2.0 Carl Zeiss T* coated lens are getting all the rage by photographers looking out for superior image quality in a compact body.  This time I feature a (short) video by digitalcameraworld. If you prefer to read, they have a transcript of the video.

Have also a look at the cute Gariz leather half cases for the Sony RX1!

Sony RX1 price check: [shopcountry 15824] [via DCW]