Tokina FiRIN 20mm f/2 FE AF now available for preorder at BHphoto

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The proerders for the newly announced Tokina 20mm f/2.0 FE autofocus lens are now open at BHphoto. It will ship from June 1. This is the press text:

April 06, 2018 – Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd. is proud to announce the sales release of Tokina FíRIN 20mm F2 FE AF – the second prime lens in Tokina’s premium lens series FíRIN for mirrorless cameras.

Name Origin

FíRIN 20mm F2 FE AF belongs to the newly launched “FíRIN” series of Tokina lenses for mirrorless cameras (or ILCs – Interchangeable Lens Compacts) marking a new epoch in Tokina history. FíRIN is a variation of Fírinne – the old Irish word for “truth”. It means “that what is real” and signifies “being true to someone or something”. It represents a promise from Tokina to photographers to help them capture the truth in their images with this revolutionary new lens.

Overview

FíRIN 20mm F2 FE AF is the long-awaited autofocus version of the existing FíRIN 20mm F2 FE super wide angle lens for full-frame Sony E-mount. Being specially designed for Sony E-mount and adopting the same optical design as in MF model, FíRIN series now offers more options for end-users to choose from according to the purpose and style of shooting.

Estimated time of arrival: June 1, 2018 EAN code: 4961607634509

For more information about the product refer to FíRIN 20mm F2 FE AF product page.

This is how it looks in real:

Thanks Marc!

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New Sony 18-135mm reviews

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Sony vs Canon 18-135mm lenses via CameraSize.

Photographyblog writes:

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is a big step up from the kit lenses that ship with Sony’s APS-C mirrorless cameras, at a price that won’t break the bank.
It’s pretty small and lightweight considering the versatile 7.5x zoom range on offer, and it delivers great image quality with the minimum of fuss. The built-in optical image stabilisation is a standout feature, enabling you to handhold the camera and still get sharp shots in low-light, while the auto-focusing on the A6500 that we tested the lens with proved to be fast, quiet and reliable. 

ePhotozine writes:

As a general purpose lens, a good 18-135mm is hard to beat on APS-C format cameras. The close focus and long reach lend themselves well to close ups such as flower studies. The 18mm wide angle can accommodate most architecture and landscapes. The close focus means small object photography is simple, and quality of results at these close distances are well maintained.
The Sony lens generally performs well, but with caveats. Central sharpness is fine until we reach small apertures of f/16 and beyond, but beyond that detail is soon lost. The edges are quite poor when longer focal lengths are used, although the centre still sparkles crisply. This in itself can be used creatively for portraiture and other close ups.
Although not perfect, the lens is still a very good choice for general photography and capable of delivering good, bright and sharp images.

ThePhoBlographer writes:

The Sony 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 OSS isn’t a bad lens. I genuinely feel like there is no such thing like that anymore. But something about this lens and the technology inside of it feels like this is a lens that should have been released in 2010 a year after I founded the Phoblographer. Then consider the price point on this lens. If you’re going to go for a superzoom option of some sort, then perhaps consider Tamron or go for the Sony and know what you’re getting. I’ll stand by my statement that primes are better for the a6500 and the a6000 lineup of cameras. Just go with those.

18-135mm lens at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera and BestBuy.

 

 

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Sony Tidbits…

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Sony FS5 II Camera, Interview about real improvements

Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4 Hands-on Photos (Photographyblog).
Sigma CEO gives rare insight on future tech: Plastic Glass, Curved sensors and more… (Mirrorlessrumors).
The Pixel Wars are Back, and That’s Great! (Explora).
EDIUS 9 In Depth Interview (Personal View).
Which Sony Alpha A7 camera? How to choose the right model (CameraJabber).
Las cámaras de los World Press Photo 2018: Nikon gana y las réflex siguen arrasando con un 85% (Photolari).
New Capture Dedication photography competition.

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram SonyAlphaGallery.

Join the new Sony Alpha Camera Facebook group.
To get news from our Forum subscribe that RSS feed.
I kindly invite you all to follow our RSS feed, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to not miss news and rumors

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Dpreview wild speculation: could Nikon adopt Sony’s E-mount? :)

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Dpreview posted a new article summing up what they learned from the interview with all company managers at CP+. For them it’s clear that:

The reign of the DSLR is almost over…Full-frame mirrorless will become the norm, and it will happen pretty soon

Yes, I think that statement is 100% correct. But the big question is: How will Canon and Nikon’s FF mirrorless be? This is where they go a bit into the wild speculation:

Canon has a slightly easier task ahead of it, since the EF mount was designed from the beginning to be fully automatic, and to support very wide-aperture lenses. As such, it could presumably make a relatively simple adapter to allow continued use of legacy EF lenses for as long as necessary. Nikon’s transition to mirrorless will probably be trickier. It’s worth remembering though that the Sony E-mount is an open standard – Nikon already has a relationship with Sony, could it adopt the company’s lens-mount? It’s an intriguing thought…

I give it a 0,00000001% chance that Nikon will adopt E-mount :)

What are your thoughts on this?

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Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM review by Opticallimits: “certainly a good lens”

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Opticallimits tested the 16-35mm GM lens:

The Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is certainly a good lens but it has a couple of flaws as well. The lens has been optimized for the lower part of the focal length range – which is certainly most important for most buyers anyway. The corner performance isn’t great at fully open aperture except at the sweet spot around 20mm. The performance is decent at longer focal lengths but it stays a little short of the very high exceptations at least. That being said – keep in mind that today’s high resolution sensors are killers.

Lens store links: [shopcountry 60804].

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New Sony A7III test roundup (Alin Popescu, Dpreview, Imaging Resource…)

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Opinion: the Sony a7 III could be the new Nikon D750 (Dpreview).

Sony A7III in USA at Adorama, BHphotoAmazonBestBuy, FocusCamera, BuyDig.
Sony a7III in Europe at Amazon DE, Calumet Germany, Amazon UK, ParkCameras UK, WexUK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.

Alin Popescu posted his final A7III review:

“Same as it did the little a6000 (still on sale and production), I think the A7 III will last longer. It’s a great camera, the best money can buy for it’s incredible features list. I already know a bunch of people who took the step and have changed boats because of the A7 III. More are going to come.”

Opinion: the Sony a7 III could be the new Nikon D750 (Dpreview).
Sony A7 III First Shots (Imaging Resource).
Setting up, customizing and accessorizing your Sony A7iii (Enthusiastphotoblog).

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