AND YET MORE SONY FE MOUNT LENSES

AT A ROUGH count, Sony is launching one new FE mount lens per month at the moment which is another indication of just how serious it is about getting to the top of the ILC market.

Joining the 100-400mm telezoom announced along with the A9, are two wide-angle zooms – the FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM and the FE 12-24mm f4.0 G. Like the 100-400mm, the 16-35mm is a high-performance ‘G Master’ model which are designed to compete with the likes of Canon’s L Series models. Both the new wide-angle zooms feature fully weather-proofed external constructions and Sony’s ‘Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave’ (DDSSM) autofocusing motors which have been specially designed to meet the demands of internal focusing using large-diameter elements.

The 16-35mm’s 16-elements optical construction includes two ‘XA’ types – extreme aspherical – one of which Sony claims is “the largest XA element ever produced”. The XA elements plus three additional aspherical types correct for distortion and also optimise centre-to-corner sharpness. Two extra-low dispersion elements correct for chromatic aberrations. This lens employs two DDSSM piezoelectric drives in a floating focusing system to deliver faster autofocusing. The 16-35mm has an 11-bladed diaphragm to give smoother out-of-focus effects and supplements its weather-proofed barrel with a fluorine coating on the exposed surface of the front element to repel moisture and grease. It also has Sony’s ‘Nano AR’ multi-coatings to reduce ghosting and flare.

The 12-24mm has a 17-elements optical construction which includes four aspherical types to correct for distortion and a combination of three extra-low (ED) dispersion types and one ‘Super ED’ type to counter chromatic aberrations. It employs ‘Nano AR’ multi-coatings to minimise flare and ghosting. Other features include a seven-blade diaphragm, customisable focus hold button and aluminium alloy barrel tubes. The minimum focusing distance is 28 cm.

With the arrival of these two new zooms (prices yet to be announced), Sony’s FE mount system now spans 12mm to 800mm (albeit achieved via a teleconverter) which is quite an achievement for a system that’s not yet four years old. For more information visit www.sony.com.au