Samyang 35mm and Tokina 11-16mm reviews

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[shoplink 7453 ebay][/shoplink]
If you want to get a good manual lens for a cheap price Samyang is really the best! And the latest test of the new Samyang 35mm f/1.4 lens on Photozone (Click here) confirms that those lenses are very good performers! The lens has been tested on an APS-C Canon camera but the results will not differ when used on your Sony APS-C camera: “Samyang continues to surprise us regarding the quality of their recently released products. The full format Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC is capable of delivering a very high quality straight from f/1.4“…”It may be a surprising news but this is somewhat superior to the mighty Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L
So this is definitely a highly recommended lens and it is in Stock for $499 at Amazon (Click here), branded with the name Rokinon on [shoplink 7453 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and branded with the name Samyang on [shoplink 7380 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
The real bargain is the 85mm f/1.4 you can get for $274 on Amazon (Click here), branded with the name Rokinon on [shoplink 7456 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink] and branded with the name Samyang on [shoplink 7454 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Kurt Munger (Click here) posted a full review of the Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens: “The Tokina performs superbly at the shorter focal lengths, with sharp centers that nearly match the mid-sections and corners when stopped down.  It has some of the sharpest corners of any super wide zoom I’ve ever tested, and that’s saying something!“.
Check the price and availability fo the lens at [shopcountry 7457] (Those are all direct Tokina search links).

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Today a short break, but fullframe rumors coming next week!

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Today I have to climb a high mountain on the dolomites. Weather is wonderful and I am ready to enjoy that day. But as soon as I am back I will work on the Sony fullframe camera rumors I received today. It seems that Photographers are already testing various prototypes. Damn would I love to see them…I could help Sony to chose which one should go in mass production!

Anyway, wish you a nice Sunday with your friends and/or families. See you soon!

 

P.S.: I am going here: http://maps.google.it/maps ;)

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(SR5) All future fullframe cameras will have GPS

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When you reader asked me if the Sony A77 would have built-in GPS a source sent me a text saying that not only the A65 ad A77 would have built-inGPS, but also the future Fullframe cameras. And while the rumor about the A920 32 Megapixel fullframe camera posted by an external website is certainly NOT true I have been told that there will be some exciting fullframe news soon. The next fullframe cameras will be announced in 2012 but if all works fine I will get some details about those cameras soon! I repeat…”cameras” and not “camera” ;)

Let’s cross our fingers!

P.S.: The A850 has been discontinued (Check [shopcountry 3028]) and soon the A900 should see some price drops (Check [shopcountry 3032]).

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Very first Sony A35 review at Photoreview Australia!

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[shoplink 7419][/shoplink]

Photoreview Australia (Click here) published a full test of the new Sony A35. it conains plenty of graphs and Imatests. There are almost no differences between the A55 and A35: “Not unexpectedly, many of the features we liked about the SLT-A55 are also found in the new camera. The compact and lightweight body is a pleasure to use and most frequently-used controls are within quick and easy reach.“. Those are the ratings:

  • Build: 8.5
  • Ease of use: 8.5
  • Autofocusing: 9.0
  • Still image quality: JPEG 8.5; ARW.RAW 8.5
  • Video quality: 8.8
  • OVERALL: 9.0
  • The A35 will be in Stock by August and you can look for preorders at [shopcountry 7419].

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    Pentax announces the “Q” mirrorless system (it uses a 1:2.33 Sony backlit sensor)

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    Pentax displayed a new “Q” mirrorless camera. That camera is smaller than the smallest camera to date, the [shoplink 7207]Sony NEX-C3[/shoplink]. But that was ony possible by using an ultra tiny 1:2.33 inch sensor (what the hell?). For the record, Pentax uses a 1:2.33 inch backlit sensor. You can read more about the Pentax “Q” on MirrorlessRumors.com.

    What’s more important is that Pentax will release a more advanced mirrorless system in autumn. And they will probably use Sony APS-C sensor! I would have loved if Pentax would have joined the NEX system but instead they will make their own new mount :(

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    (SR5) Worldwide first picture of the final A77 and A65 production models!

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    And here we are! On top of the post you can see the world first picture showing the upcoming new Sony A77 and A65 translucent models! Sony original plan was to announce those cameras in July but the announcement has been delayed to late August because of the recent production issues that external suppliers had after the Tsunami-Fukushima disaster. The Sony A77 will be Sony’s new top APS-C model and replace the now very old [shoplink 3228 ebay]Sony A700 (Click here to see that camera)[/shoplink]. It has a newly developed 24 Megapixel sensor which we have been told will deliver a crazy ISO performance. Specs are not 100% finalized yet but it looks like the ISO range goes from 100 up to 102.400 ISO. The A77 uses a new double Bionz processor and a newly developed 3 million dot OLED EVF. It takes more than 10 frames per seconds and has 11 cross AF points. Of course it can record videos at FullHD. It has a new USB 3.0 connection (with transmission speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s). Both cameras (the A77 and A65) will use the new translucent technology (there will be no optical viewfinder Sony camera anymore!). That allows Sony to reduce the production costs and we expect the A77 body only price to be around $1.000 only! That’s much less than the competition:
    Check Canon 7D price at [shopcountry 6954].
    Check Nikon D7000 price at price at [shopcountry 6952].

    UPDATE: A source noticed that many of you asked about the GPS. He sent me a text saying that both cameras will have built-in GPS! -> Thanks source ;)

    First user that tested the camera told us the AF is very fast and accurate. The OLED viewfinder has almost no noticeable lag or flickering. We will post more A77 user reports during the next weeks! If you don’t want to miss any future rumor be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe our RSS-feed!
    And what do we know about the A65? The A65 will replace the current [shoplink 3617 ebay]Sony A55 (Click here to see that camera)[/shoplink]. It has very similar A77 specs. The main difference is that the A65 has no magnesium alloy and no top LCD (as you can see that from the picture).

    One more thing: But there will be many more new Sony cameras and lenses this summer. There will be new NEX Pro that will feature the same A77 sensor, a new [shoplink 3058]Sony NEX-VG10[/shoplink] successor, new lenses (Zeiss and Sony) for both Alpha and E-mount systems.

    Those are the detailed A77 specs (some minor aspects could be subject to change until the final announcement):
    The A77 announcement on late August.
    Shipment start early October
    Coming with new kit lens (A Sony 16-50mm zoom. Compared to the [shoplink 5586 ebay]Zeiss 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5[/shoplink] it will have a constant aperture and probably have a bit higher price. Zeiss 16-80mm price check at [shopcountry 5586].)
    24 Megapixels (The combination of the new sensor+new Zeiss lens delivers 62% more resolution than the [shoplink 3617 ebay]A55 16 Megapixel sensor[/shoplink].)
    1080p/30fps, 720p/60fps and 720p/30fps high-definition video
    AF fine-tuning capabilities. A source told us that it has an improved focusing system (quite fast and accurate).
    11 cross points
    over 10fps
    3 Million dot OLED viewfinder (more than double of the resolution fo the current [shoplink 3617]Sony A55/33[/shoplink] viewfinder.)
    magnesium alloy
    It will take CF+SD+MS cards
    No flip-up mode to allow shooting without this extra sheet of glass in place
    1.000 pictures with one battery
    Price body only = $1000.

    Support this site: I am having a lot of fun to work on SAR. I don’t use dozens of banners and I don’t get paid by any company to do what I do. All the work you see here is made by me during my free time. If you want to help me to cover the monthly server costs there is an easy way: Click on affiliate links you see on that website like [shopcountry 3028] to buy whatever product you want (it doesn’t have to be a camera) and I will earn a small commission from it. You don’t pay any penny more on the items you buy and at the same time you support SonyAlphaRumors without me having to put 100 banners on my website. Cool or not? Thanks :)

    Reminder (SR = Sonyrumor):
    SR1=probably fake rumor
    SR2=rumor from unknown sources
    SR3=50% chance it is correct
    SR4=rumor from known sources
    SR5=almost certainly correct!

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    Sony 35mm f/1.8 DT SAM tested at Photozone (better than the 35mm G lens?)

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    The Sony 35mm f/1.8 DT SAM has been tested at Photozone (Click here): “The Sony 35mm f/1.8 DT SAM may be a budget-oriented prime lens but regarding its performance it may even be a viable option for enthusiasts. Resolution-wise it delivers a very solid performance.” And the last statement will cause a huge discussion here: “It may surprise you but regarding the sum of its optical qualities it is actually a better choice than the “mighty” (albeit outdated) Sony 35mm f/1.4 G – Sony’s professional grade full format 35mm lens.“.

    That’s a huge surprise if you do consider the big price difference:
    Check the 35mm f/1.8 DT price at [shopcountry 6422].
    Check the 35mm f/1.4 G price at [shopcountry 7016].

    Surprised? I certainly do hope Sony (or Zeiss) will soon release a new 35mm lens!

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