The German Heise website (Click here for the english google translation) is the first website posting image samples and a short review of the Super Quality and most expensive Alpha mount lense ever made. The reviewer says the lens is “impressive” but suggests you to borrow the lens when you really need it instead of buying it. The lens cost $13000 at BHphoto (Click here). For us “poor” people go for the [shoplink 11531 ebay]Sigma 500mm f/4.5 EX APO (Click here)[/shoplink] which costs $5000 only! :)

Oh, and read this: Photographer uses red-dot gunsight as AF assist (Cnet US).

The Rokinon 8mm fisheye via ThePhoBlographer.

Samyang (also known as Rokinon) is a well known company that makes some amaizng lenses for different mounts. But until now all their lenses were manual focusing only. But in a recent interview at Techradar (Click here) they unveiled that they are going to release their first autofocus lenses for the NEX system in 2013. Good to hear we don’t have to rely on Sony and Zeiss only to get some good quality E-mount lenses!

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I like Rokinon/Samyang lenses a lot and I recommend you the following two lenses for Alpha mount:
1) The 35mm f/1.4: In US you can find it as Rokinon at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and on [shoplink 7453 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink]. In Europe the name is Samyang and you can find it on [shoplink 7380 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and with the name Wallimex again on [shoplink 7831 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
2) The 85mm f/1.4: You can get for $274 on Amazon (Click here), branded with the name Rokinon on [shoplink 7456 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and branded with the name Samyang on [shoplink 7454 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

[shoplink 10220 ebay][/shoplink]

Our reader Björn Utpott just sent me the link to his latest 50mm lens comparison (Click here to read it). The big question is: Is the new [shoplink 8448]50mm lens[/shoplink] for NEX better than the “older” [shoplink 10220 ebay]Zeiss ZM 50mm f/1.4[/shoplink] lens? The answer is pretty easy, the lenses have been designed for completely different kind if use. The Sonnar ZM has a more old creamy look with sharp center and less sharper borders. The new Sony 50mm is sharp through all the frame.

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Sony 50mm f/1.8 for NEX at [shoplist 8448].
Zeiss ZM Sonnar f/1.5 links at [shopcountry 10220]
M to NEX mount adapter on [shoplink 8850 ebay]eBay[/shoplink]

While the [shoplink 8450]Zeiss 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink] is certainly the highest quality lens for the NEX system the 50mm f/1.8 is the real must have lens if you want a good and fast lens for less than a thirds of the price you pay for the Zeiss. And to see how good the lens is switch over to Kurt Munger (Click here) that just posted the full 50mm review.

If you are on the waiting list than you might be happy to know that first stores are already shipping the lens and most will do so within the next 2-3 weeks. Here is my usual full preorder list I check to see what’s going on with Sony stuff. Click on the shop name to see if they have the 50mm lens:
[shoplist 8448]

Image courtesy Quesabesde

Quesabesde (Click here to read the google english translation) wrote a new Sony A57 hands-on. And David K. from Photoclubalpha (Click here) shared his thoughts about the A57: “Everyone has been saying – we’d love an A77 or even an A65 with the 16 megapixel sensor. Or we’d love an A55 upgraded with the better viewfinder. So what do Sony deliver? Neither…“. And a first impression post has been written at Photocomment (Click here).

On SonyAlphaRumors 51% of the readers like the new A57 while other 25% said they cannot judge yet and the rest said that they didn’t like the camera at all (Click here to see the full A57 news coverage and the poll at the bottom of that post).

If you think you need that camera here are some USA preorder links:
A57 Body Only: Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStoreUSA (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
A57+18-55mm lens: Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), SonyStoreUSA (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).

Image courtesy: Photozone.

Klaus from Photozone just posted two new NEX lens reviews. This is actually the first time he is posting tests made on his new [shoplink 8454]Sony NEX-7[/shoplink]. This is going to be interesting to read because he is struggling with the corner issues of the 24 Megapixel sensor. Let’s start:

1) Sony 30mm f/3.5 macro lens (Click here to read the review)
The performance of that lens on the NEX-7 is disappointing: “The Sony E 30mm f/3.5 macro lens delivered a rather disappointing performance on the Sony NEX 7. The center image quality is absolutely great but the border- and especially corner-quality is sub-standard. The rather high amount of lateral CAs isn’t helpful either.” I hope Klaus can soon do the same test on the [shoplink 8452]Sony NEX-5n[/shoplink] to see if the poor corner quality depends from the 24 Megapixel sensor of the NEX-7 or not!

2) Sony 50mm f/1.8 lens (Click here to read the review)
In that case Klaus is much more satisfied with the lens performance. A part of the not so good corner performance (which doesn’t matter a lot for a portrait lens) he says: “The image quality is very impressive if you stop down to f/4-f/8 where the lens is almost capable of exploiting the potential of the 24 megapixel Sony sensor.” But this is a protrait lens and the real point that matters is the bokeh quality. And hee is were the lens shines: “A real highlight of the Sony lens is the quality of the bokeh which is among the very best that we’ve seen in this class so far.”

Again Thanks Klaus for making these detailed reviews!

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The real “issue” of the 50mm lens is his non-availability. You can find some of them on [shoplink 8448 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] but not in “normal” Sony or other known stores. You can only preorder them at:
[shoplist 8448]