A couple of SAR readers contacted Sigma to ask if the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 A-mount lens will inded ship in May as previously stated by Sigma. They got a positive answer and expected first shipment for end of May! So if you want to preorder it click over at the Sigma page on Amazon US (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).

Note that also Redcoon Germany (click here) says the lens will ship by End of May:

Reminder: DxOmark tested the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens and said:

The Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 DC HSM A remains an outstanding example of what’s achievable with modern lens designs. And at $799, it’s reasonably accessible in price as well.

Reminder_2: The very best Sigma lens, the new 50mm ART can be preordered at Amazon US (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here)

In collaboration with ViewBug (Click here) I organized a photo contest for SAR readers:

Share your best photos taken with a fast shutter speed setting in this free photo contest hosted on ViewBug for chances to have your photo featured on SAR and win more prizes:
Year of ViewBug PRO
Limited Edition Photo Storage Hub
Large Canvas Print
150 Reward Points

The contest will close on May 31st for submissions and voting closes on June 15th. I can have the winner’s image for the second post on June 29.

Wish You Good Luck! :)

Today SAR reader Sam Li has a great story to share!

Sam: “I follow your website religiously. It’s what made me decide to sell all my Canon gear to purchase the Sony a7. I recently just came back from a 22 day roadtrip across the west coast and shot these beautiful photographs with the Sony a7 + Zeiss 35 2.8.”

Pedro Santos
Game of colours
A7r + Leica Summarit 75/2.5

Plenty of SAR readers are sharing their best shots on our facebook wall (Click here). These are just some of them I found particularly interesting this week:

Sony A77 II AF Speedtest

A6000 review at Digitalversus.
Sony A7r review at Steve Digicam’s.
A600o test at Capacamera.
Sony 24-70mm review at Focus Numerique.
irst Look: Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Makro-Planar: Aperture Series ‘Glistening Rocks’ (Diglloyd).
Some answers about the Pentax 645Z with Sony MF sensor at Newsshooter.
Sony RX10 Field Diary: All in One? (Outbackphoto).
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 Review (ePhotozine).
Sony expects huge loss after bailing on PC business (Engadget).
Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS Review (Photographyblog).
Zeiss 24-70mm review at SonyAlphaLab.
Sony A6000 + Zeiss 16-70 F/4 – Prueba de campo at DSLRmagazine.

An interesting post in a forum, posted a few hours ago, about the low light focusing capabilities of the a7s, from a show in China: http://www.latinfotografia.net/foros/index.php?topic=48779.0
….
Edward: Wanted to share my unboxing and overview of the Sony FE 70-200 G Lens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldUeYTMOVpg

Sony just announced the new A77II and the Zeiss 16-35mm FE lens All the info you need is here:

Preorders:
Sony A77 body in USA at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Sony Store (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sony A77 with 16-50mm lens at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Sony Store (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sony A77 body in Europe at Sony Germany, Sony UK, Sony France, Sony IT, ES, NL, BE, AT, CH, PT, NO, SE, FI.

Key info:
Ships in June. Price 1199 Dollars and 1199 Euro.
GPS is gone and NFC is in.
Some Sony A77II slides can be seen at Optyczne.pl.
There is a surprise: Sony announced the 16-35mm F/4.0 FE Zeiss too! Article here: sonyalpharumors.com/surprise-sony-also-announces-the-new-zeiss-fe-16-35mm-f4-0-fe-lens/

Previews, Hands-on and reviews:
First impression by Dpreview. First impression by ThePhoBlographer, Hands-on by Cameras.Reviewed, Hands-on pics at Photographyblog, Hands-on by Techradar, Uebergizmo, Engadget, Tes by German Chip.de.

Image samples:
Photographyblog, DSLRmagazine (scroll down to the bottom),

Videos:
–

The Phoblographer’s first Impressions Sony A77 Mk II
–

Official Sony α77 II – First Look video

Press release:
BHphoto, Dpreview, Sony (Spanish), Sony (English), LesNumeriques (French), Photoscala (German), Photographyblog, DSLRmagazine (Spanish), Amateur Photographer, ePhotozine, LeMondeDeLaPhoto (French), Quesabesde (Spanish), DxO, Focus Numerique (French),

Poll:
Please read previews and tests before to answer:

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Sony A77 body images (Click on it to enlarge):

Image courtesy: Photoscala.

Well it was true after all! Indeed Sony announced two new Full Frame E-mount lenses. Well, one is the already pre-announced 28-135mm PZ zoom. But the second is the long time rumored Zeiss 16-35mm f/4.0 FE OSS lens! Release is said to be “mid year”. No price info yet.