E 16-55mm F2.8 G at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera.

CameraLabs reviewed  the brand new

In my tests so far (and I hope to do more) the optical quality is outstanding in terms of detail across the frame at all focal lengths and aperture values, and while there are also solid options on rival systems, the Sony managed to out-perform them at least to some degree. Impressively it’s also smaller and lighter than most 16-55mm f2.8 lenses without compromising on build quality, and this is important when mounting it on one of Sony’s equally compact A6000 bodies – I’m relieved it didn’t feel unbalanced in use. But it’s also the most expensive 16-55mm f2.8 lens to date, a little pricier than the Fujifilm version, and much more so than the Canon and Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 DSLR models, although these are considerably older designs.

So the Sony E 16-55mm f2.8 is priced high, doesn’t have optical stabilization and again I wish it focused closer, but there’s no arguing with its quality and portability. Certainly the price will have you contemplating if now is the time to switch to full-frame, but if you’re sticking with a Sony APSC body and are looking for the best quality general-purpose zoom to go with it, the E 16-55mm f2.8 is the one for you and comes Highly Recommended.

Preorders:
Sony A6600 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
Sony A6100  at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
E 16-55mm F2.8 G at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama , FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.

The first review of the new Zeiss Ventum 2.8/21 E-mount lens has been posted on Kopterkraft:

The new Ventum adresses the needs of aerial photographers who like to save any extra gram on their drones paying off as additional flight time. If you use it for example with the latest Sony A7 series, the A7RIV (665g), you still get a package below 1kg which allows you to use also a lighter gimbal than you would have to use with a Loxia 2.8/21 – saving weight on both components

As the lens has a fixed focus to infinity, you should be aware that depth of field (DOF) depends on the aperture setting and that there is no option to focus on close objects. ZEISS recommends a minimum object distance of 15m – which is usually no problem when you use it for aerial photopgraphy.

 Distortion is well controlled and you get sharp egdges already at open aperture f/2.8. The T* coating of the lens is able to protect contrast at a high degree even when you shoot against the sun.

Jim Kasson analyzed the Sony A7rIV files  and concluded:

I’m not going to bury the lead here: the Sony a7RIV eats stars just about like the a7RIII does…except that the new behavior starts at 3.2 seconds instead of 4 seconds.

Sony should really take  action and develop a special “star shooting” mode that deactivates the filtering.

On a positive note: Fixed pattern read noise is very clean. Jim Kasson writes:

These are very clean. I was afraid I’d see evidence of software designed to suppress PDAF striping.

Noise on long exposure is fine too:

It’s very clean except for the blue plane, ant it’s not bad at all.

Sony A7rIV and new accessories:
Sony A7rIV in USA/CA at BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera, Amazon, BuyDig, Henrys.
Sony A7rIV in EU at Calumet DE, ParkUK, WexUK, Calumet NL.
Sony A7rIV in Asia at Sony Japan. Sony Australia.
Sony VG-C4EM grip in USA at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, ParkUK, WexUK.
ECM-B1M Digital Audio Shotgun Microphone at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, Park UK.
XLR-K3M Mic at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, Park UK.

Jordan Steele from Admiringlight tested the new lens and concludes:

Pros

• Extremely compact and lightweight lens
• Quick and accurate autofocus in most situations
• Very good image sharpness right from f/2.8
• Excellent color and contrast
• Outstanding flare performance
• Good control of both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberration
• Excellent value

Cons

• Limited zoom range
• Bokeh is a bit rough and high contrast
• Relies on software correction for distortion and vignetting
• Autofocus can miss in continuous AF on distant subjects

The Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 keeps with Tamron’s full-frame mirrorless philosophy so far.  It sacrifices a bit of zoom range for compact size while keeping the optics on a high level and the lens affordable.  The 17-28mm packs a constant f/2.8 aperture into an ultra-wide lens that is smaller and lighter than Sony’s slower 16-35mm f/4, while being significantly smaller than the 16-35mm f/2.8.  Despite the small size, the lens performs very well.  It’s sharper than the 16-35mm f/4, and produces images with great clarity, good sharpness to the corners and fantastic flare performance, making it a great option for landscape photographers who want to travel light.

While the f/2.8 aperture will enable lower light usage and can provide some subject isolation, the bokeh is only average at best.  However, given the cost of this lens, at just $899, Tamron’s tradeoffs here are more than worth it.   While many will compare this lens with the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, I think that those who are willing to shell out the astronomical $2300 for that lens will not be swayed by third-party glass.  But where Tamron will certainly succeed is in competing with the slower Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f/4.  In this comparison, the Tamron is not only the better optic, but adds an extra stop of light while saving the buyer $400. It’s a great addition to the full-frame E-mount.  I have sold my personal Sony 16-35mm f/4 in favor of this new Tamron.  I suspect many others will do the same.

–

Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 FE:
In the USA at BHphoto, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig and Adorama.
In Europe it’s available at Amazon DE, Calumet DE, WexUK, Park UK, Amazon IT, Amazon FR, Amazon ES, CameraTools NL.

Preorders:
Sony A6600 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
Sony A6100  at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
E 16-55mm F2.8 G at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.
E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama , FocusCamera. In EU at Calumet DE, Park UK, WexUK.

Marc Alhadeff tested the Thingyfy Pinhole Pro S you can buy on BHphoto:

For 80 euros the Thingyfy Pinhole pro S give a wide angle pinhole that delivers consistent and decent results

By design , there is no focusing and depth of field is infinite , you just need to take care of framing, but this is not so obvious as with a tiny hole the F stop si extremely small (F73) and there is not a lot of light hitting the sensor

Using it is quite fun and you can produce very old school vintage photo. Both colors and Black and white works nicely

With the extremely low aperture linked to a 0.14mm hole (= F73) you need a lot of sun to shoot handled and ISO is going high to extremely high and speed quite low (Sony SteadyShot stabilization will help here)

Shooting on tripod with long exposure can also be a solution

For the usage on the field , with standard settings, the visor will be often very dark and you should assign the “Bright Monitoring” function to one custom button to be able to frame and shoot at ease. This one will boost your screen and allow to “see in the dark”

It is recommended to add a protection filter on the pinhole thanks to the filter thread , this will avoid some dust hit the sensor through the hole

Reminder:

You can now preorder the world’s first Pinhole Pro X 18-36mm zoom lens on Kickstarter (Click here). The lens costs $41 and will ship out in November. You save 30% over the regular price!

Pixel Peepers can now endlessly compare and discuss  the Sony A7rIV Image Quality using the newly added files on Dpreviews Studio Comparison Tool.

One thing is dead certain: The resolution jump from the A7rIII to A7rIV is big and my laptop feels it all….yes I do own the  new A7rIV :)

Sony A7rIV and new accessories  (Focuscamera corrected)::
Sony A7rIV in USA/CA at BHphoto, Adorama, FocusCamera, Amazon, BuyDig, Henrys.
Sony A7rIV in EU at Calumet DE, ParkUK, WexUK, Calumet NL.
Sony A7rIV in Asia at Sony Japan. Sony Australia.
Sony VG-C4EM grip in USA at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, ParkUK, WexUK.
ECM-B1M Digital Audio Shotgun Microphone at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, Park UK.
XLR-K3M Mic at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera, BuyDig, Park UK.