Kensei Akatsu: My TOP 10 Favorite Sony Lenses that Changed My Life

I really enjoy Kensei Akatsu’s videos, so I’m taking his list of 10 favorite Sony lenses as an inspiring guide for all of us.

Battle of the giants: Sony 600 GM vs Sony 400-800 G and Sigma 300-600

Fstopers had one of the best time ever testing three very different telephoto lenses for the Sony system:

Conclusion: All three lenses offer stellar image quality, but they serve different types of photographers. The Sony 600mm f/4 delivers unmatched sharpness even with a 2x teleconverter, but at a painful $14K price point and poor stabilization. The Sigma 300-600mm f/4 is heavier and limited to 15 fps, yet an excellent bargain at $6,600 with fixed aperture and superb optics. But the biggest surprise is the Sony 400-800mm: for a fraction of the cost, it delivers nearly the same image quality, better stabilization, more zoom range, and excellent usability — making it a true winner for enthusiasts and budget-conscious pros alike.

New Sony 100mm GM Reviews and Webinar

Sony 100mm GM macro at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Fotokoch, Fotoerhardt, Calumet, WexUK, Clifton.

What an amazing lens Sony has created here!

DigitalCameraWorld tested the lens and concluded:

If you already own Sony’s 90mm Macro and you’re wondering if this is worth the upgrade, I can only apologize to your waller – yes, this is 100% worth the upgrade as the performance is a league apart. This is the best macro lens for the E-mount and one of Sony’s finest lenses ever.

And we have new review and webinar videos:

Dpreview tested the Sony A7V Dynamic Range and writes: “we can confirm it is very impressive.”

The Sony A7V is in Stock right now at BHphoto (Click here) and at Adorama (Click here). It means you can still get one before Christmas

DPReview tested the Sony A7 V (A7V) dynamic range and writes:

We’ve had the opportunity to test the dynamic range for ourselves with the studio scene to see how it performs, and we can confirm: it is very impressive.

DPReview Sony A7 V dynamic range studio scene showing ISO invariance and shadow recovery performance

To start, this may be one of the most ISO invariant cameras we’ve seen to date when shooting with the mechanical shutter. That means you have a lot of room to preserve highlights by shooting at lower ISOs, then brightening the image in post (a workflow that also translates well to shooting with HDR in mind). In our tests, we saw essentially no shadow cost to an image shot at ISO 400, brightened to match an image shot at ISO 6400 with the same exposure settings.

It’s remarkable how quickly this camera went from “controversial” at launch to a clear winner. Early reactions to the Sony A7 V were mixed—partly because Sony didn’t clearly highlight its new dual gain output (DGO) pipeline and how it affects real-world image quality. Combined with its partially stacked sensor, the A7 V delivers excellent exposure latitude, highlight retention, and clean shadow recovery. In fact, testing shows it can lead rivals by nearly two stops of dynamic range over the Canon R6 III, with near-ISO invariance that’s ideal for HDR workflows and RAW editing. For broader context, check our medium-format dynamic range comparisons.

Sony A7 V preorders:
In the USA at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Henrys.
In the EU at Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, Foto Köster, WexUK, Clifton, Park UK, Fnac FR.
In Australia at Camera Pro, Sony Australia.

Confirmed: Sony a7 V is employing Dual Gain Output (DGO) to achieve outstanding dynamic range!

Reminder: Sony A7V finally available for preorder on Amazon (click here). “Arrives before Christmas” :)

The Sony A7V uses a new class leading sensor and it delivers stunning Dynamic Range at low ISO according to PhotonsToPhotos testing. We now have more details about how the camera achieves this:

As reported by Petapixel the Sony A7V uses Dual Gain Output (DGO) when using the mechanical shutter at base and low ISO settings. The good news is that the Sony does NOT use baked-in noise reduction with its RAW files. Petapixel writes:

A camera utilizing Dual Gain Output, DGO, captures two readouts of a single exposure with two different ISO settings. In the case of the S1 II, the camera at base ISO combines an image shot at ISO 100 and a second at ISO 800 and merges the results into a single RAW file. This means the camera can take advantage of the higher saturation capacity at low ISO and the improved deep shadow performance at a higher ISO.

The real limitation is that DGO does not work in electronic shutter mode which leads to about 1 stop dynamic range drop. Why?

DGO increases sensor readout times, which are not an issue when using a mechanical shutter but are problematic when using an electronic shutter, increasing the risk of rolling shutter problems.

I think Sony has found the perfect middle ground: outstanding dynamic range with the mechanical shutter (10 fps is more than enough for most users), and when you really need ultimate speed, you can push it up to 30 fps using the electronic shutter.

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Sony A7V preorders:
In USA at at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, Henrys.
In EU at  Fotokoch, FotoErhardt, Calumet, Foto Köster, WexUK, Clifton, Park UK, Fnac FR.
In Australia at: Camera Pro, Sony Australia.