Sony Boosts FE Lens Line-Up
While the lack of FE mounts lenses doesn’t seem to have had much effect on the popularity of Sony's A7 Series mirrorless cameras, the company has significantly expanded the system with four new models.
The newcomers bring the choice of FE mount lenses to 11 which Sony has achieved in a pretty short time period. Three of the four are primes starting with the highly desirable Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f1.4 ZA wide-angle which is the fastest FE mount lens to date. Its 12-element optical design includes one ‘Advanced Aspherical’ (AA) type designed to more effectively deal with lateral chromatic aberrations. It also features the ‘Direct Drive SSM’ ultrasonic autofocusing system and a nine-bladed diaphragm for smoother out-of-focus effects. The minimum focusing distance is 30 centimetres. The aperture ring can be either set to continuous adjustment for shooting video or for click-stopped setting when taking stills. The new 35mm f1.4 also has a fully weather-proofed barrel. This model is priced at $2499 and is available now.
The second new FE mount prime is a 90mm f2.8 macro lens with true 1:1 lifesize reproduction and built-in optical image stabilisation. It also features the DDSSM autofocusing drive with two ‘floating’ focusing groups to optimise focusing precision at very short subject distances. An internal focusing design means the barrel length remains unchanged. Quick and convenient switching between AF and MF operations is achieved via a sliding focus collar. The 90mm macro also features a weatherproofed barrel design. Pricing and availability for this lens have yet to be announced.
The third FE prime is a compact 28mm f2.0 wide-angle which is accompanied by a pair of converters which create a 21mm f2.8 or 16mm f3.5, the latter providing a full 180-degree angle-of-view. Weighing just 200 grams, the 28mm f2.0 has a weather-proofed design, nine-bladed diaphragm and internal focusing mechanism. Its nine-element optical construction comprises three aspherical types and three made from extra-low dispersion (ED) optical glass. The 28mm sells for $699 by itself while the ultra-wide converter (designated SEL075UWC) is priced at $399 and the fish-eye converter (SEL057FEC) at $499. All are available now.
The last of the new FE mount lenses is an interesting 24-240mm 10x zoom. The maximum aperture range is f3.5-5.6 and this lens has built-in optical image stabilisation and a weather-proofed construction. The 17-element optical construction includes five aspherical types (to correct for distortion) and one made from ED glass. The minimum focusing distance is 50 centimetres at 24mm) or 80 centimetres (at 240mm). Available now, the Sony 24-240mm zoom is priced at $1499.