New Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 E Lens reviewed at SonyAlphaBlog: “excellent sharpness in the centre”

The new 23mm f/1.4 APS-C E-mount lens at BHphoto and the worldwide Viltroxstore.

SonyAlphaBlog tested the new Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 E Lens and concluded:

The Viltrox 23mm F1.4 (285 euros) is a very good AF lens for Sony APSC cameras. 23mm being the equivalent of a 35mm lens on full frame , this is a very useful and common focal length for street photography or half body portrait.

The main selling arguments of this lens are

  • its excellent sharpness in the centre combined with fast aperture which give you a nice blurry background for portrait
  • its AF (fast and efficient) and clickless aperture ring for video

However

  • corners are quite soft at large aperture and you need to close to F4/F5.6 for best results on the entire field for street / landscape, so don’t expect to consistent sharpness in low light
  • The lens also suffer from heavy Chromatic aberrations even whith aperture closed down, so you will need to correct those in post prod

Compared to the Sony E 24mm F1.8 Zeiss Sonnar, the Viltrox is a bargain

Pros

  • Very good sharpness in the centre wide open at f1.4 and excellent as of F2
  • Excellent sharpness across the whole frame at F5.6 and F8
  • Fast and efficient AF , eye AF working very well
  • Very good build quality
  • Clickless aperture ring for video
  • Reasonable price for a lens with AF
  • Good bokeh balls and background blur (although it could be a little bit more softer)
  • Good color rendition
  • Lens can be upgraded via USB port (and Viltrox do regularly upgrade their lenses)

Average

  • Vignetting up to F4
  • AF not fully silent in video
  • Moderate distorsion
  • Resistance to flare could be better

Cons

  • Heavy CA
  • Corners soft up to F2.8
  • On A6000 only : Some AF issues in video

Recommended as 35mm equivalent lens on Sony APSC cameras

The new 23mm f/1.4 APS-C E-mount lens at BHphoto and the worldwide Viltroxstore.

Gustav Kiburg tested the new LA-EA5 Lens Adaptor

You can reader Gustav Kiburg full LA-EA5 Lens Adaptor test at Alphuniverse UK:

“My overall experience using the LE-EA5 adaptor with my old A-mount lenses was extremely positive. All the lenses I tried reacted quickly and gave me precise focus, and what surprised me the most was the accuracy of the Eye-AF and AF tracking. For those photographers still sitting on their old A-mount lenses, the LE-EA5 is a worthy investment!”

Sony FE 12-24mm review by Fred Miranda: “the best ultra-wide lens available”

Get the lens at Amazon. BHphoto. Adorama. FocusCamera CalumetDE. WexUK.

Fred Miranda tested the new Sony FE 12-24mm and concluded:

The Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM brings landscape and nightscape photography to a whole new level. I consider it to be the best ultra-wide lens available – capable of extreme high resolution and contrast even when compared to our top zooms and primes.

At f/2.8, it outperforms the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN lens from center to corners at most focal lengths. This outstanding performance with the Sony A7R IV’s 61MP sensor, is a dream come true for anyone shooting Milky Way nightscapes.

Before trying this Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM, my Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN was the ultimate go-to lens in terms of resolution, contrast and aberration correction. But, Sony’s new ultra-wide GM pushes the limit even further, adding 12-13mm of extra range and even higher resolution. Who knows how Sony makes this possible without increasing the lens’ size or weight significantly. But it doesn’t end there. The Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM delivers defined Sunstar rays starting at f/11 and offers impeccable flare resistance – possibly the best I have ever seen.

Landscape shooters who already own the Sigma 14-24/2.8 DG DN might hesitate to upgrade to the new Sony FE 12-24/2.8 GM, especially when mostly shooting at f/5.6 and smaller apertures. However, the extra 12-13mm f/2.8 range, better performance wide open, improved flare resistance and more appealing sunstar rendering may justify the upgrade. Currently we don’t have a set of prime lenses that outperform the Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM.

PROS:

  1. Outstanding resolution/contrast throughout the entire zoom range
  2. Outstanding flare resistance
  3. Well controlled distortion
  4. Great CA correction
  5. Low coma at f/2.8 throughout the range
  6. Fast 12-24mm range
  7. Very low color aberration
  8. Weather sealed sturdy construction
  9. Attractive sunstars starting at f/11
  10. Smooth rendering
  11. Great minimal focus distance (MFD) performance

CONS:

  1. Price: $3,000 (Most expensive GM zoom)

  2. Moderate field curvature from 12-14mm

  3. Longer MFD compared to the Sigma 14-24/2.8 DG DN (despite both lenses sharing similar MFD specs)

 

New Sony A7sIII tests by Gene Szucs, Manny Ortiz, Jacques Crafford, ProavTV, Camera Conspiracies


Sony A7sIII preorder at Adorama. BHphoto. Amazon. FocusCamera. Fotokoch. Calumet DE. WexUK. Park UK.

Filmmaker and Sony Ambassador Jacques Crafford talks about the Sony a7SIII and more at SonyAlphaPhotographers. And below we have some new A7sIII tests:

Sony A7sIII Preorders:
Sony A7sIII in USA at Adorama (up to $400 off with lens), BHphoto, Amazon.
Sony A7sIII in EU at Fotokoch. Calumet DE. WexUK. Park UK.

New Sony A7sIII accessories:
You will also have to preorder the world’s first CFexpress Type A cards at Adorama, BHphoto. Amazon.
And of course the new Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress Type A/SD Memory Card Reader at Adorama and BHphoto.