First test of the new Sigma 56mm f/1.4 E-mount lens

The new Sigma 56mm f/1.4 E-mount is an exciting ASP-C lens that will cost you 429 Euro only. One of our readers shared this first picture of the lens mounted on the Sony A6000. Below you can also see some lo resolution samples he shot with this combo. He told me this:

I was at the announcement yesterday. This lens is very compact. My initial impression is that the bokeh is very good as shown in the attached photos. It’s too soon to judge the image quality since I have no pc right now but it looks sharp on the camera screen and the longitudinal CA is quite low. However the autofocus isn’t the fastest. The hall is very dark so maybe it’s A6000’s fault. Today I have chance to play it again.

Curiosity: This is how crazy sharp the A7rIII with 85mm f/1.8 FE combo is!

This weekend I did a 2 days hiking tour over the Dolomites. I took most shots with the light and optically superb 85mm f/1.8 FE lens. And this was a JPG file, not even RAW :)

The Sony 85mm f/1.8 is a must have lens in your bag!

85mm f/1.8 FE at [shopcountry 75280]

Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM preorders now open in the USA and Europe

You can finally preorder the new Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM at Bhphoto. Adorama. Amazon USA. BuyDig. FocusCamera. Calumet Germany. WexUK. P.S.: The Sony A7III is now in Stock at Adorama (Click here).

I know we were hoping to see a lot more than just one lens. But that said the new 24mm GM is truly amazing. It’s compact and super sharp. It’s one lens I am considering to buy now although I would prefer to have a 21mm focal length with the same speed…

And here is a nice video to watch. Ted Forbes highlights what’s so special with the new 24mm GM lens and the Sony lens technology in general:

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 FE review by Marc Alhadeff: “superb optics for outdoor portraits”

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 for $1,399 at BHphoto, FocusCamera, and Adorama.

Marc Alhadeff tested the new Sigma 135mm f/1.8 FE lens:

The Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art (1400 euros) is a superb optics for outdoor portraits. Considering the focal length and aperture, the size and weight is reasonable and much more manageable than the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art

  • Sharpness is exceptional including in the corners even wide open at F1.8
  • Bokeh, background blur , color rendition are very good
  • AF its fast and silent and its efficiency is  good in general but with still some issues vs a Sony lens : expect to get 15% misses focus (tested on Sony A7RIII)
  • Ergnomics are ok but not perfect
    • no focus hold button that could have been assigned to eye Af 
    • No aperture ring which makes it less practical and more noisy for video

Alternatives

  • Zeiss Batis 135mm F2.8 (2000 Euros) Excellent lens but which does not achieve the same aperture and therefore less background blur. AF is very efficient and reliable
  • Samyang 135mm F2 AS UMC (560 euros) : excellent manual lens with excellent sharpness everywhere & very good color rendition
  • Sony 135 F1.8 GM : expected for end 2018, but expect a price higher than the 1400 for the Sigma

If you need an AF you can trust 100% , I would wait still a few months to see if the Sony will do better , if not the Sigma is a exceptional optics capable of wonderful images

 

New Tamron 28-75mm FE reviews by TheBrotographer, Jason Vong, Jonathan Stewart and David Oastler

The Tamron 28-75mm FE is a highly requested lens and nearly impossible to find in Stock in the USA at BHphoto, Amazon, BuyDig, FocusCamera and Adorama.

Here are four new reviews to checkout:

TheBrotographer writes:

If I had to pick one lens under $1000 for the Sony E-Mount system, I’d pick the Tamron 28-75 most of the time. No, it isn’t a f/1.4 prime, but it does a fantastic job in many areas. It is a joy to film with on a gimbal with its excellent autofocus. Images coming out of the Tamron 28-75 are sharp, contrasty, and have nice colors. It comes in only $799. Yes, there are a few drawbacks, but at $1400 cheaper than its nearest competitor, those drawbacks are perfectly okay.

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for Sony FE User Experience Review – BUDGET ZOOM LENS for a7III a7RIII a7SII

Sony Zoom Shootout – G-Master v. Tamron v. G:

Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 incredible value: