Sony is showing off two full-frame sensor lenses for the Sony A-mount. On the way are the 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM II telephoto zoom lens and a Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f1.4 ZA SSM lens. Both of these lenses feature Sony’s Super Sonic Wave Motor intended for quiet and speedy autofocus and other performance improvements. For APS-C shooters, the DT 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM II is coming to replace Sony’s older version of the same glass but with both external and internal redesigns.
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Zeiss has been known to deliver some serious optical performance. We reported on their lens chart results a while back from DXOMark and now it seems like they’re trying to push the performance even more. When they announced their 55mm f1.4, they stated that it was designed for Full Frame DSLR with extremely high megapixel counts.
We had the chance to play with the lens a while ago at Photo Plus, and it is very much something that the company would produce. Zeiss has produced a creative marketing video talking with the lens’s designer about the optic. The charts he mentions and showcases are the exact same results that we saw in our meeting with Zeiss.
But in terms of optical performance, they’re absolutely correct. As an owner of Sigma’s 50mm f1.4 (one of the latest and best) I can attest to the fact that this new lens from Zeiss nearly destroys anything else out there. I’ve also been a user of Leica, Canon, Nikon, and more. Nothing comes close.
Want more? Check out our lens reviews in the Reviews Database.
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The MS-Optical Sonnetar 50/1.1 on the Leica M8. The lens is surprisingly small for its focal length and speed.
The Sonnetar 50mm f1.1 for Leica M is the latest lens design by Mr. Miyazaki from Japan, the man who brought us the 35mm f3.5 and 28mm f4 “Perar” pancake lenses before. The Sonnetar is not a pancake, but still not large either considering its speed. Based on the classic Sonnar design by Zeiss, the Sonnetar manages to be fast and compact at the same time. As with all MS-Optical lenses, it is designed and assembled by only one person, which is why it comes in limited numbers only. I had the opportunity to take a closer look at a pre-production unit of this unique lens.
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Right now, B&H Photo has a list of major discounts that end on September 1st. You can get instant savings on a slew of different lenses. Take a look at the page.
But we wouldn’t be such great guys if we didn’t give you any guidance. Here are some of the lenses with savings that we’ve reviewed previous (with the accordingly linked reviews.)
Canon 8-15mm f4 L Fisheye Zoom
Canon 35mm f1.4 L (My bread and butter lens)
Canon 85mm f1.8 (another favorite of mine)
Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS and the 100mm f2.8 Macro non L IS (we’ve got a whole comparison here too)
Also remember that every purchase helps to support the site when you first click the according links and then directly make a purchase.
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Yesterday, we did a quick comparison of three cameras. But today, we’re featuring the 5D Mk II and 5D Mk III shooting the same image with the 50mm f1.4 at the same settings. Can you tell which one is which?
EDITOR’S NOTE: Image one is from the 5D Mk III, Image 2 is from the 5D Mk II. Thanks for trying!
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Olympus E-P1 + Zeiss Planar 50/2 ZM
Being a user of both the Micro Four Thirds and Leica M system, it was evident for me to try out my well-proven M-glass also on my Micro Four Thirds bodies. Due to their very short flange-back-distance (i.e. distance between lens mount and sensor), Micro Four Thirds cameras can mount pretty much every lens ever desgined for film and digital—be it minute 16mm cine lenses or huge and chunky 6×9 medium format lenses. With the help of an appropriate adapter, any lens that can be focused manually can be put to work on an MFT body. So, besides getting an adapter to use the lenses of my old Pentax ME film camera, I also got one for my Leica M lenses. Unfortunately, however, the very cheap execution of the model I bought prevents focusing any lens to infinity…so, until I get hold of a proper adapter, all I can do with my M glass at the moment are close-ups. There is one lens in my setup, however, that lends itself exceptionally well at this: the 50mm f/2 Zeiss Planar ZM.
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