Photo Jottings

Here’s a brief look at the Minolta AF II APO teleconverters. Scroll down for more info.

Lens	Minolta AF 1.4x and 2x teleconverters II APO
Box contents	Both come with front and rear caps, plus a nice carrying case.
Cost	N/A
Build quality	Very Good.
Value	That all depends. For Sony users, not a very good value. See Sony teleconverters review here.
Add. Info	No auto-focus on Sony lenses. They work on other select Minolta lenses, see below.

Specifications compiled using various Internet sources.

Lens	Minolta AF 1.4x and 2x teleconverters II APO
Elements	1.4X has 5, 2.0X has 6
Groups	1.4X has 4, 2.0X has 5
Angle of view	N/A
Min. focus (macro)	Same as lens used.
Max. magnification	1.4X or 2.0X of the attached lens.
Min. F/stop	N/A
Filter diameter	N/A
Dimensions	1.4X is 2 1/2″ x 13/16, (64 x 20mm) 2.0X is 2 1/2 x 1 11/16 (64 x 43.5mm)
Weight	1.4X 5.9oz (168g) 2.0X 7.06oz (200g)

Requisite product shots.

2x with case.

2x box and contents.

1.4x with case

Rear view, 1.4x on right.

Front view, 1.4x on right.

The Minolta AF II APO teleconverters are frequently found on eBay. They’re quite a bit less expensive than their equivalent Sony models, but you won’t get auto-focusing on any Sony lenses. They aren’t compatible with SSM focusing. They will meter correctly and provide proper EXIF data.

The Minolta AF II APO have updated gearing for high-speed focusing as opposed to the older Minolta AF APO models.

They are both multi-coated and have a predominately amber color.

Compatibility: for the most part, the Minolta AF teleconverter II APO 1.4x is fully compatible withthe Minolta 200mm F/2.8, 200mm F/4 macro, 300mm F/2.8, 300mm F/4, 400mm F/4.5 and 600mm F/4 including all HS-APO G models of each lens. The 2x teleconverter is fully compatible with the Minolta 200mm F/2.8, 300mm F/2.8, including all HS-APO G models of each lens.

Optically, they’re the same as the new Sony models, but without the ability to auto-focus on Sony lenses. If you’re building a Sony DSLR system, do not buy these teleconverters, pay the extra money and get a full functioning 8 pin Minolta APO (D) or Sony. Note: the Sony 135mm F/2.8 STF lens will accept teleconverters, but will not auto-focus by design, and is not an auto-focus lens.

For a full review of the Sony models, and a basic look at what the picture quality would be with these teleconverters mounted on a Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G SSM lens, go here.

Sony 35mm F/1.4 G and Minolta AF 35mm F/2

These two fast lenses were initially designed back in the mid-to-late 1980s. The Sony 35mm F/1.4 G was updated in 2006, and costs about $1370 new. The Minolta AF 35mm F/2 I’m using here came out in the late 1980s, and typically runs around $600-700 used.

To sum up the differences quickly, the Sony 35mm F/1.4 is sharpest in the extreme corners at F/2 up to around F/5.6, but the Minolta is sharpest in the mid-to-far centers. Both the centers are close in sharpness, but the Minolta 35mm is sharpest at F/2. The Minolta 35mm F/2 has more light fall-off wide open, and more noticeable ghosting when bright lights are inside the image, probably due to the fact that it hasn’t been updated with new coatings like the Sony 35mm F/1.4 G.

entire scene

The entire scene is above. The center crops and mid-crops are represented in the white outlined boxes, I placed the center area in the corner when shooting the corner crops. All focusing was done at infinity.

Center crops directly below.

Sony 35mm F/1.4 Minolta AF 35mm F/2

F/2	F/2

F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

F/2 exposure adjusted to match Minolta on right	F/2 same image as the top

Surprisingly, the Minolta has better contrast at F/2, and seems about the same stopped down—super good performance!! The Sony is probably as sharp as the Minolta past F/2.8 even though it may not look like it. The exposure values are the same for each lens, but the Sony is taking in more light, about 1/3eV, that’s why they look different.

Just in case you think if the exposures were the same for each lens, the images would be the same in sharpness, I’ve adjusted the Sony F/2 shot to match the Minolta F/2 shot; check out the bottom row to see what I’m talking about.

I’m guessing the subject (Sun City Vistoso sign) distance is about 100′ or 30m.

Now for some corner crops.

Sony 35mm F/1.4 Minolta AF 35mm F/2

F/2	F/2

F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

Noticeable here are the sharper extreme corners of the Sony 35mm at F/2.8-5.6, although not really a surprise. What is a surprise is the Minolta has better mid-to-outer frame sharpness, illustrated in the crops below and also in the color fringing crops at the bottom. Light fall-off is noticeable at F/2 on the Minolta, but clears up mostly at F/2.8. The corner crops were taken from (near) the last 300 pixels of the left lower corner.

Mid-level crops.

F/2	F/2

F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

Check out the differences in the mid-to outer frame crops here. The Minolta is clearly sharpest at larger apertures, and seems slightly better to F/11. Again, the exposure settings are all the same, but the Sony is brighter and subsequently may fool you into thinking there isn’t much difference if you darkened up the Sony shot to match the Minolta, that’s why I put in the adjusted crop in the center crop section at F/2. Both lenses were sharpest at the infinity hard stop, and trying to short focus didn’t seem to sharpen them up any more when using small apertures, like F/5.6-11 etc.

Distortion below.

Minolta AF 35mm F/2

Sony 35mm F/1.4

Both lenses seem to have about the same level of barrel distortion, although I don’t have the crops lined up exactly the same, which makes the Minolta look a bit flatter.

Ghosting samples below.

Sony 35mm at F/5.6	Minolta AF 35mm at F/5.6

Sony 35mm at F/11	Minolta AF 35mm at F/11

Both lenses have their fair share of ghosting, but the Sony 35mm seems to produce a little less, most likely due to having updated coatings. The Sony has a green/purple look on the front element, the Minolta has a bluish cast, which is a typical color of the 1980s.

Color fringing below.

Sony 35mm @F/5.6

Minolta AF 35mm @F/5.6

These color fringing crops were taken from the last 700 pixels at the middle left side. The Sony 35mm has slightly more color fringing, (I would have guessed just the opposite), seen mostly at the edges around the car window, but what’s more noticeable is the sharper details at this area of the image (left side middle this time) from the Minolta 35mm, (both taken at F/5.6), which backs up the results of the mid-area crops above.

That’s all for this comparison, hope you enjoyed it.

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Sony 28mm F/2.8 and Minolta AF 28mm F/2

This time I’m comparing the Sony 28mm F/2.8 to the faster, and more expensive Minolta AF 28mm F/2 lens, both reviewed in full also.

To sum up the differences quickly, the center sharpness crops look almost identical, a surprise to me as I originally thought the Minolta was sharper based on memory alone–bad idea! The biggest difference is in the corners, where the Minolta is much sharper, especially stopped down. As far as ghosting is concerned, the Sony (with the updated coatings) is the clear winner, and that’s no surprise based on past comparisons with updated primes. Color fringing control (lateral) is best with the Minolta. Distortion is nearly identical. The Sony A900 was used in this comparison.

Check out the center crops below.

Sony 28mm F/2.8 Minolta AF 28mm F/2

F/2	F/2
Intentionally left blank
F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

I see the same center sharpness for both lenses, and the F/2 crop for the Minolta is pretty sharp, but has some veiling haze. There is no axial color fringing visible at all with either lens from F/2.8 on.
Now for some corner crops.

Sony 28mm F/2.8 Minolta AF 28mm F/2

F/2	F/2
Intentionally left blank
F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

Noticeable here are the sharper corners of the Minolta, no surprise though as I was impressed by the corner performance way back when I originally reviewed this lens. Check out the color fringing on the corner crops of the Sony 28mm, (noticeable in the wood trailer components and white rim), the Minolta has much less, which is a bit unusual as it is a mid-80s design.

Distortion control

Sony 28mm moderate barrel distortion

Minolta AF 28mm F/2, moderate barrel distortion

Both lenses show moderate barrel distortion, but the Minolta may be just a bit flatter, depending on how picky you want to be.

Ghosting samples below.

Sony 28mm, F/5.6 sun fully in shot	Minolta AF 28mm F/5.6 sun fully in shot

Sony 28mm F/5.6 sun just at edge	Minolta AF 28mm F/5.6 sun just at edge

Ghosting control is clearly best with the updated Sony lens when the sun is in the frame, so if shooting into the sun is something you like to do, you may want to stick with the Sony, although sometimes I like the look and feel you get with ghosts. When the sun is at the edge, or just out of the image, there isn’t much difference between the two, (bottom row).

That’s it for this comparison!

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Sony DT 30mm F/2.8 and Sony 28mm F/2.8

A few people wondered aloud about using the new Sony DT 30mm F/2.8 macro lens as a prime, and comparing it to something similar, like the Sony 28mm F/2.8 lens. I did just that, and came to a few conclusions. I think the 30mm is about the same in center sharpness as the 28mm, but the 30mm has sharper corners, well illustrated below. Both lenses has some ghosting, neither one better than the other. The distortion is about the same for both. Color fringing in the corners is not at all noticeable on the 30mm, but is noticeable on the 28mm, see the corner crops below. One other item of interest; the 30mm must be focused very precisely at infinity for maximum sharpness, the 28mm is best at the hard stop, this might be an issue if you’re a pixel peeper. I would get the 30mm and check my focus, as opposed to buying the 28mm as a prime, but that’s just me. With the 30mm, you get a macro and wide angle lens all in one.

Check out the center crops below.

Sony DT 30mm F/2.8 Sony 28mm F/2.8

F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

Even when factoring in the slightly shorter focal length of the 28mm, there is very little if any difference in sharpness in the centers between the two lenses, but the 28mm seems to have a little more contrast in my opinion. All shots taken at infinity focus.
Now for some corner crops.

Sony DT 30mm F/2.8 Sony 28mm F/2.8

F/2.8	F/2.8

F/4	F/4

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

The 30mm is obviously sharper in the extreme corners at all apertures, which is somewhat of a surprise. I see some moderate color fringing in the 28mm corners, and none in the 30mm. All shots taken at infinity focus.

Distortion control

Sony DT 30mm

Sony 28mm

Both lenses exhibit the same basic distortion pattern, and same control.

Ghosting samples below.

Sony DT 30mm F/5.6	Sony 28mm F/5.6

The 30mm suffers from a pesky multi-colored arc in the corners, the 28mm has some diffused ghosts in the same area. I’d say the flare and ghosting are different on both lenses, but neither one comes out on top in my opinion.

Check out the difference in area covered.

Coverage difference between 28mm, 30mm.

The sample shot above shows the coverage differences between the 30mm macro lens, and 28mm, with the 30mm coverage defined by the red lines. The coverage differences are not really something to worry about. I didn’t merely extrapolate the differences above from the specs sheet, I shot both lenses at the same center point, and outlined the exact coverage on the 30mm.

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Sony CZ 16-80mm F/3.5-4.5 and the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II

This is a quick comparison of the Sony CZ 16-80mm and Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 at their widest focal length, and at 50mm. I’m using 16mm at the wide end for the Sony as there is no 17mm in the EXIF data, and it’s real hard to adjust the Sony to match the Tamron exactly, you’ll also see there is a difference in coverage at 50mm, even when set to that exact length. I’m using the largest apertures available for the Sony, which starts at F/3.5 at 16mm, and F/4.5 at 50mm. The Tamron starts off at F/2.8, but that’s not what we’re concerned with in this quick, limited review.

You’ll notice both lenses are pretty sharp in the centers at both focal lengths used, (and all apertures) with the Sony having a disadvantage here because of the extra coverage between 16mm-17mm. At 50mm, the Sony has a slight advantage as the coverage is less, you’ll see what I mean when you examine the crops below. Distortion is nearly the same at wide angle on both lenses, meaning moderate barrel distortion, and at 50mm (not shown) there is mild pincushion on both. Color fringing control is best on the Tamron, which is a surprise. The Sony and Tamron have small amounts of lateral CA near the wide end, and almost zero at 50mm.

In a nut-shell, I’d recommend the Tamron if you need the extra stop of light, or don’t have the money for the Sony. Buy the Sony if you’re going to use the lens in good light, and want a little more range at the long end.

Check out the center crops below.

Sony CZ 16-80mm @16mm Tamron 17-50mm @17mm

F/3.5	F/3.5

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

The Sony has a disadvantage by starting at 16mm, you can see this in the crops above. I’d say the sharpness would be about the same if the coverage was identical. They’re both very sharp at F/3.5, and the crops don’t seem much sharper by stopping down.
Now for some corner crops.

Sony CZ 16-80mm @16mm Tamron 17-50mm @17mm

F/3.5	F/3.5

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

It looks like the corners perform about the same as the centers. I’d say at F/3.5 they’re a little soft, but look fine at F/5.6. The Tamron looks like it may have slightly sharper corners at F/3.5. All shots taken at infinity focus, and about 200-300 pixels away from the right lower corner.
Now for some center crops at 50mm.

Sony CZ 16-80mm @50mm Tamron 17-50mm @50mm

F/4.5	F/4.5

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

The crops above are not the greatest, I didn’t have enough time to experiment with the best distance to detail requirements, plus the Tamron crops were taken about 10 minutes later than the Sony, and the light was changing fast. The center crops look about the same in sharpness, despite the light differences.
Now for some corner crops.

Sony CZ 16-80mm @50mm Tamron 17-50mm @50mm

F/4.5	F/4.5

F/5.6	F/5.6

F/8	F/8

F/11	F/11

What’s surprising here is the Sony is sharper in the corners than the Tamron at 50mm. I was bragging about the Tamron corner sharpness at this focal length not too long ago, but the Sony is clearly sharper up to about F/8, at which point they even out. All shots taken at infinity focus, and about 200-300 pixels away from the lower right corner. The most accurate focusing for the Tamron at 50mm was right on the infinity mark, the Sony needed to be short focused just a hair off the infinity mark for best sharpness.

Distortion at 16-17mm.

Sony 16-80mm at 16mm

Tamron 17-50mm @ 17mm

The Sony shows a little more barrel distortion, but it’s also a bit wider. At 50mm, there’s a small amount of pincushion on both lenses, not shown.

Ghosting samples below.

Sony 16-80mm @16mm F/5.6	Tamron 17-50mm @17mm F/5.6

Both lenses show some ghosting. Though the Tamron has less ghosts, it shows a little more veiling glare through the middle in this shot.

Color fringing at the widest focal length.

Sony CZ 16-80mm @16mm F/5.6

Tamron 17-50mm @17mm F/5.6

The Sony has a little more lateral color fringing at wide angle, you can see magenta and cyan along the big tree branch on both lenses. I cropped both images at the last 700 pixels from the middle left side. The crop differences are from the 16-17mm focal lengths, and shows the coverage differences between the two. At 50mm both exhibit excellent control of lateral color fringing.

That’s it for this quick comparison, see the main reviews for each lens for additional information. Sony Carl Zeiss 16-80mm F/3.5-4.5, Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II.

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Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II and Sony 50mm F/1.4

I’ve been playing with the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II for the last week or two, (thanks to Richard in CA), and noticed it was pretty sharp across the entire frame when stopped down at 50mm, so I decided to do some quick comparisons with the Sony 50mm F/1.4 lens using apertures of F/2.8-8.0.

Now then, when you look at the comparison crops below, you may just notice the Sony is sharper than the Tamron, so big deal. If this is your reaction, then you’re missing something important. If you really look at the F/8 crops, you’ll see they’re almost the same in the centers, with the Sony just a bit sharper when comparing the corners. If you’re still saying to yourself “big deal,” then consider this; the Sony is a full frame compatible lens, (meant for 36x24mm sensor or film) consequently, when used on an half size sensor APS-C camera, you’re only using the middle portion of the lens, which is the best part. The Sony is also a fast prime lens, meaning it is designed around that specific focal length only, and to give fairly good results at very large apertures, like F/1.4, and really good results stopped down to F/5.6-8. There are few sacrifices involved since there is no zoom capability.

The Tamron lens is designed for APS-C cameras, meaning the entire imaging circle is used, which includes normal contrast problems around the image periphery. The designers must also contend with making a zoom lens perform good at all focal lengths, and make appropriate compromises. The crops below are part of an image that would print out about 45″ (1.14m) wide as you see it on your computer screen, and the actual crops come from about 200-300 pixels from the corner!

Check out the center crops below.

	Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 @50mm	Sony 50mm F/1.4
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8

Now for some corner crops.

	Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 @50mm	Sony 50mm F/1.4
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8

That’s it, no ghosting or distortion crops.

Here’s a little color tour of a couple of my favorite hiking areas located in the Catalina mountains, just north of Tucson, AZ. I used the new Sony A900 and the Konica minolta 17-35mm F/2.8-4 lens, since Sony has yet to come out with a super wide angle zoom lens of their own, (as of 10/08). I’ve added some text under each image if you’re interested in learning more about the scene.

This is the entrance to “ski valley” as they call it. You can snow ski in the winter when there is sufficient snow, see the lifts going up the hill in the background.

Beyond the closed gate is Steward Observatory, run by the U of A. Elevation here is 9100′ (2774m) There is a trail head parking lot just off to the left. This is up the road about a mile from the ski parking lot above.

This is an artsy shot of the Mt. Lemmon (Summerhaven) community center which I just happen to like. I’m not sure if they can ever fill it up, or make it a bustling center of community activity, as there are only a few full time residents of Summerhaven. I guess they can always play Bingo.

This here critter is a Desert short-horned lizard. A frightening creature, but was very cooperative during the photo shoot. This was taken at 35mm, which gives an anemic maximum magnification with this lens, but it turned in a very sharp photo! This is a crop (and resize) of about a quarter of the original image. The critter was about 3″ (75mm) long.

View is from Windy point vista, about half way up the mountain. Tucson is in the valley below.

I didn’t like the way this looked originally, so I turned it into another artsy shot with levels adjustments. It’s a bunch of dead branches.

Here’s an oak tree just starting to turn.

Now we’re on the Marshall gulch trail, which starts out at the very end of the Catalina highway at the bottom of Summerhaven. If you go to this trail-head and want to see some fall color, don’t take the “Aspen trial” also located here, or you won’t see any color at all. There are no Aspen along that trail anymore. Both trails start out a few feet apart then go in opposite directions, then come back around and meet a couple of miles in.

Another scene not far from the picture above.

A nice Maple at peak color, not too much red in these mountains, just small bunches like in the previous image. That’s it for the very short tour, and about all the color you get around Tucson, AZ.

NEX camera quick review

Below is a running review of the new Sony NEX 3-5 cameras. I’m not going to bore you with a normal review, (which is similar to writing an owner’s manual), and would rather pontificate on the actual image quality, handling, performance and value. Below the photo is a general thoughts section which I’ll be updating from time to time, so check back often for new insights.

The photo shows the important items that come with each camera kit, although both have the CD and manual etc. Use this photo as a guide when I talk about something in the quick thoughts section below.

NEX quick thoughts

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been working up the full reviews of both NEX lenses, along with some general observations about the camera system so far. Listed below in no particular order are some things I’ve noticed as I use the cameras. Both the NEX-5 and NEX-3 have the same image quality, so I’ll only differentiate between them if it’s appropriate.

Both cameras come with a flash unit in a nice carrying case, which can be attached to the neck strap; a thoughtful idea by Sony. When the 18-55mm is at a wide setting, the flash will be blocked partially by the hood, so take the hood off for flash use.

The 18-55mm comes with a hood, which can be attached in the reverse position for storage. The 16mm doesn’t come with a hood, but the 18-55mm hood fits, (and doesn’t cause light fall-off), although it will not reverse as it does on the 18-55mm because the 16mm is too short. Oddly, neither camera kit comes with a rear lens cap! The build quality for both lenses is very good, and the focusing system is far superior to SAM, although see the caveat below.

The wireless remote (RMT-DSLR1) that comes with some Sony cameras like the A700-900 works properly with the NEX-5; which is surprising as Sony usually makes stuff like this incompatible with their other systems and models, remember the KM 5/7D and A100 non-memory batteries that won’t work with the newer memory enabled cameras? The NEX-3 has no provision for the wireless remote.

When using the NEX-5 on a tripod, you need to tighten it down hard to prevent slippage as a result of the weird base plate.

Battery longevity is poor, I’m getting about 150 shots per charge without flash usage. This may improve as the battery is cycled over time, that’s what has happened to my other DSLR batteries.

Start-up varies between 1-5 seconds, not very good in my opinion. Also, after sitting for a couple of days, I notice when I power up the camera it sometimes makes an odd noise, and if you shut it off immediately, the shutter fires, that’s odd.

Manual focusing is difficult, but is precise in my opinion if you have some level of appropriate detail (and light) to gauge focus. The screen is sharp enough to allow this.

Both models have an excellent fit and finish, and the buttons and switches are smooth, although the control wheel seems too easy to move for me.

High ISO noise reduction is much better than on the A700, probably about a full stop better in the area of 3200-6400.

File sizes averge around 4.4mb in large/fine mode.

Full HD movies in AVCHD are a pain to try and watch, because they’re only viewable when you use the included software and download from the camera.

When using the “street sweeper panorama” mode, the camera will only count one shutter actuation, not all that were used to stitch the photo, which will be approximately 40 shots in 9 seconds. One can imagine a person that uses this feature on a regular basis will cause premature wear on the shutter mechanism.

Focusing hit rate is below par when used in multi-area mode. I’m experiencing a rate of approximately ten percent of missed focused shots. These were not front/back focus issues, they were totally blown shots. I mostly have been using multi-area with the 18-55mm lens, so I’m not sure if the other lenses and focusing modes have the same problems. I suspect it’s only in the camera, and maybe a firmware update might be able to fix it.

Exposures are dead-on in program mode, in which I’ve been using the cameras. Highlight blow-out is very low, and is as good as the A700/900, at least in program mode. Some reviewers are reporting over-exposures in auto mode, but I haven’t been using that mode much, and when I do, I’m not seeing that problem with my pictures.

ISO comparisons between A700 and NEX-5 using the kit lenses for each

Sony A 700

NEX-5

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

Here I’ve compared the A700 and NEX-5 in noise reduction capabilities. The comps are straight-up, meaning I didn’t try to adjust for the lesser resolution on the A700, that’s why the crops are smaller. Everything looks about equal up to ISO 1600, at that point the Sony A700 starts to fall apart, and shows it at ISO 3200, where as the NEX looks pretty good yet. ISO 6400 is rough with the A700, but not too bad with the NEX. If you’re having trouble seeing the differences between the two, look at the texture in the camera strap, (lower band with Sony logo), which gets wiped out with aggressive noise reduction.

Next up are some crops from the NEX-5 with 18-55mm lens and the A700 with 18-55mm lens.

Center crops from each lens at 18mm.

NEX-5 with 18-55mm lens @18mm, F/8, center

A700 with 18-55mm lens @18mm, F/8, center

Both centers are pretty sharp, but the NEX seems just a bit sharper, even when allowing for the higher resolution of the NEX. The gravel area across the middle shows more detail in the NEX crop.

Left side crops at F/8, 18mm.

NEX-5 with 18-55mm lens @18mm, F/8, left side

A700 with 18-55mm lens @18mm, F/8, left side

The crops above where taken from the far left side of the image, about half way to the top, not the extreme corners. The Sony SAM 18-55mm kit lens is much sharper along the sides, even at F/8, that’s surprising! Also rather surprising is the color fringing on the NEX lens. The crops look a little different because the light was changing as a result of fast moving clouds this day, but that doesn’t invalidate the results here.

Now let’s check out the 55mm crops from each lens.

Below are crops from the centers at 55mm, F/8.

NEX-5 with 18-55mm lens @55mm, F/8, center

A700 with 18-55mm lens @55mm, F/8, center

The center crop differences appear to be about the same at 55mm as they do at 18mm.

Left side crops at F/8, 55mm.

NEX-5 with 18-55mm lens @55mm, F/8, left side

A700 with 18-55mm lens @55mm, F/8, left side

The area along the sides is much sharper with the NEX lens at 55mm, just the opposite as we saw at 18mm.

In a nut-shell, the two kit lenses are about the same in optical quality, it all depends on what area of the image you’re looking at, and the focal length and aperture you’re using. I used F/8 for this comparison because that’s the aperture in which everything should be about as sharp as it gets.

Conclusion.

The NEX 3 and 5 cameras perform wonderfully right out of the box. Exposure levels are dead-on, the colors are rich, but not too punchy, and the high ISO noise reduction looks very good to 3200. I used program mode for almost all my shots. Program mode allows you to set exposure compensation if needed, (usually when indoors or low light situations), but will automatically control the aperture and shutter speed, so you don’t have to worry about that. iAuto mode works fine too, but you’re not able to access exposure compensation. The screen is very bright and sharp, and easy to see outdoors.

People looking for a small camera that takes great pictures, and aren’t interested in fussing with manual controls will love the NEX 3 and 5. Based on my use, there’s no reason to mess with any manual controls except for some occasional positive exposure compensation, so feel free to leave the camera in “iAuto” or more preferably, “Program” mode. I also think the street sweeper panorama feature works very well, and does a great job of stitching the images together. Movie mode is also excellent, but the full HD setting requires you to download the movie file from the camera, and be content using Sony’s supplied software, then viewing the movies on your computer screen. You can also view the movies with AVCHD devices, or use the lesser 1440×1080 size which is saved as an MP4 file; a much more popular format.

A couple of problem areas are; when in manual or priority mode like “A” or “S” it’s real easy to bump the control wheel by simple sliding the camera in a pouch or pocket, and that will throw off the settings, so you may find yourself shooting images using an aperture of F/32! I found that focusing in multi-area mode results in a blown shot rate of about 10 percent, that’s pretty high, so you’ll need to check your shots on a regular basis, which is easy to do with the sharp screen. Additionally, the menu system is quirky to say the least, and probably could use an update immediately, but we’ll more than likely have to wait for the second generation of NEX cameras to see any changes.

Even though the cameras suffer from a few minor flaws, It should be clear by now that I really like the NEX cameras as a whole. I appreciate the fact that you can just point and shoot and get excellent image quality, without worrying about aperture, shutter speed and all that baloney that confuses people and could cause you to miss a shot. However, the NEX system will not replace a DSLR, although some photography snobs—and reviewers (including on-line experts) expect it to, and will not tolerate the “made for beginners” menu system, lack of phase detection AF, and dedicated buttons for essential settings, like ISO, eV etc.

That’s it for this quick review, stay tuned for the next NEX cameras!

Here’s a brief look at the Sony NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens. Scroll down for the main review.

Lens	Sony NEX E-mount 16mm F/2.8 SEL16F28
Box contents	Front and rear caps and a user’s manual.
Cost	$250, or an extra $100 with camera as a kit.
Build quality	Very good, but super light-weight.
Additional information	Introduced in 2010. Has a focus motor inside similar to SSM, not the cheaper SAM.
Specifications below
Optical configuration	5 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view	83° APS-C
Aperture	7 blades, almost straight
Full frame and APS-C	APS-C only, and will only mount on E body cameras. Equivalent to 24mm of coverage due to APS-C crop factor of 1.5x.
Depth of field and focus scales?	Nothing.
Minimum focus, image plane to subject	9.4″ (0.24m)
Minimum focus, end of lens barrel to subject	7.25″ (184mm)
Hard stop at infinity focus?	No
Length changes when focusing?	No
Focus ring turns in AF?	No
Filter size	49mm
Filter ring rotates?	No
Distance encoder?	Yes
Max magnification	0.078x, or 1:13
Min. F/stop	F/22
Sony teleconverter compatible?	No
Length changes when zooming?	N/A
Dimensions WxL (my measurements)	2.45″ x 0.89″ 62mm x 22.5mm.
Maximum extended length (my measurements)	0.89″ (22.5mm)
Weight bare (my scale)	2.3oz (65g)

Requisite product shots.

Front element

Backside mount

side shot

Sony MTF chart and X-ray view

Only the Sony NEX 5 was used for this review.

For a better understanding of terms and methods used in this review, go here.

The new NEX camera kits are currently being offered with two lens choices, an 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6, and 16mm F/2.8. The NEX 16mm F/2.8 is a pancake-type design, which means a compact size with a budget price, and not necessarily an optical masterpiece. Design considerations more than likely were small size, low cost, and a platform for a fish-eye and super-wide converter. Don’t forget to figure the crop factor of 1.5x for this APS-C lens, which is 24mm of coverage.

Accessories for this lens. The wide-angle converter will give an equivalent coverage of 18mm. There is quite a difference between 18mm and 24mm! The fish-eye converter turns the lens into a 10mm (16mm equivalent) fish-eye lens. One last accessory to mention is the all glass, multi-coated (5 elements in 4 groups) optical viewfinder built specifically for the NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens.

The NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens has five elements in five groups, including one surface aspherical element. It’s build solidly, has a smooth manual focus action and a silent auto-focus motor which is great for keeping focusing noise out of movies. Due note this lens does not have OSS or built-in optical steady shot. Being a wide-angle lens, the benefits of image stabilization are not as pronounced as they are on a longer lens because the stabilization system doesn’t sense all that much movement with such a large area of coverage. Sony marketing probably opted for less cost, and possibly less size when they decided to leave out OSS. Also noticeable in the backside product shot above is the new NEX 10 pin contact patch, instead of the normal 8 (or 5 before distance integration and SSM) used on the Sony alpha system. The increase in connections allows the camera and lens to communicate more information.

Fit and finish are very good. The lens appears to be clad in metal, and has a metal mount, but is extremely light-weight and almost seems like it could be a mock-up, with no glass or internals. It uses 49mm filters, just like the NEX 18-55mm. The color is silver, like stainless steel, but seems to turn color slightly with a different angle of light, see product shots above. Sony claims this lens has a circular aperture, but due to the tiny physical aperture opening, the out-of-focus highlights or background blur is rendered seven-sided, not circular, unless the lens is wide open. Check out the Bokeh crops to see what I’m talking about.

In the box: Sony says it comes with front and rear caps, and an owner’s manual. There is no hood for this lens, but the NEX 18-55mm hood will fit without causing additional vignetting.

Focusing. This lens auto-focuses quickly, accurately, and without a peep. It’s much smoother and quieter than the SAM or slot-screw drive devices Sony uses on it’s Alpha system. The front filter ring doesn’t turn when focusing, so your polarizers and grads will work great. The focusing ring is easy to turn, and is dampened about right.

Lens flare/ghosting. About average control for a prime lens by today’s standards, but it could be better in my opinion.

Color fringing (CA). About average, to below average control for a prime lens. Ok, so it’s a pancake lens, then it’s average. You’ll see plenty of red and cyan along the sides of the image, at all apertures, and a little center or axial color fringing between F2.8-4. Check out the crops below.

Bokeh. Rather harsh overall, but looks slightly better stopped down some. Look below for sample crops.

Color. Same as other Sony lenses.

Close up filter. A 49mm close up filter doesn’t work very well (image plane is messed up) and causes some light fall-off.

Coma. Very minor to almost no coma at the largest aperture in the extreme corners. See crops below.

Regular filters cause no additional light fall-off when the aperture is fully open at close or infinity focus.

Filter size is 49mm. This size is not widely used by Sony, but is commonly available. Current Sony lenses that use this size are the NEX 18-55mm, and the Sony 30mm F/2.8 macro and 28mm F/2.8.

Distortion. You’ll notice weird, wave-type pincushion distortion when straight lines are near the image edges, and this type is hard to correct in standard image correction software. The distortion pattern is a slight center rise, then remaining fairly straight as it gets closer to the edges, and finally, just before reaching the edges, there’s a quick turn up. Close focus through infinity focus seems to show about the same amount of distortion. Check out the cropped samples below.

Distortion examples directly below.

Weird wave distortion

Bokeh crops next.

16mm F/2.8	16mm F/4

16mm F/5.6	16mm F/8

Bokeh is somewhat harsh, producing a noticeable ring around highlights, but looks a little better stopped down. Starting in the F/4 crop, you can clearly begin to see heptagons, indicating the aperture isn’t round. Usually, a circular aperture is round at least one stop down from maximum, or wide open, but here the aperture is so small, the blades don’t have enough curve built-in. Crops are from the center of the image, about 10′ (3m) behind the focus point.

Coma crops next.

16mm F/2.8	16mm F/4

Coma is barely visible in this 100% corner crop, and then only when using the largest aperture.

Flare and ghosting.

16mm F/5.6 sun out of image	16mm F/11

16mm F/5.6	16mm F/11

I see some green ghosts when the sun or very bright lights are inside the image. I also see some flare from the sun, (washed out area) noticeable in the top left shot, on the left side, the sun is well away from the edge of the frame. Use of a hood probably would’ve eliminated this issue, or holding your hand out to block the sun.

Light fall-off or corner shading is medium at F/2.8, and light at F/4. Regular filters don’t cause any additional light fall-off, even when using a wide aperture.

16mm F/2.8	16mm F/4

Below are crops from the image centers.

F/2.8	F/4

F/5.6	F/8

F/11
	Intentionally left blank

Center sharpness is pretty good, even with the aperture wide open. Look at the mountain and tree limb detail between the top F/2.8 crop and the F/5.6 crop directly below. It seems F/5.6-8 are optimal apertures for sharpness in the centers. Diffraction causes softening at F/11.

Below, crops from the mid-sections.

F/2.8	F/4

F/5.6	F/8

F/11
	Intentionally left blank

At the mid-section, (about halfway between the center and corner area) sharpness suffers compared to the centers. The crops above show a soft mid-section unless stopped down to F/5.6. The image periphery is noticeably soft at normal viewing sizes when the lens is set to F/2.8, even when used in low light, such as night time street shooting. You may ultimately get better shots by raising the ISO and using a smaller aperture like F/4.

Below are the corners.

F/2.8	F/4

F/5.6	F/8

F/11
	Intentionally left blank

The extreme corners look rough at F/2.8, but sharpen up dramatically by closing the aperture down to F/4. The corners are almost as sharp as the mid-section when stopped down, meaning there isn’t much improvement after you move away from the center of the image. I notice a slight lack of contrast with this lens, especially off-center, but considering the design, it does a good job. All crops above were taken at infinity focus, about 400′ (120m) away.

Lateral color fringing.

F/8 color fringing on left side of image, about 1000 pixels in from the edge

Here’s the rather strong color fringing I was talking about at the top of the page. This image crop was taken from the left side-middle, about 1000 pixels from the edge at F/8. You’ll see the red and cyan fringing along the trees. This type of color fringing doesn’t go away by stopping down.

Let’s check out the macro capabilities of this lens.

Below, check out the 100% cropped portion of the full image. The sample shot was taken with the NEX 5 14.2MP camera. The subject is a standard US stamp, 0.87″x 1.0″ or 22mm x 25mm. Also, note the macro shot was taken as close to the subject as focusing allowed; in this case a short 7.25″ (184mm), measured from the front of the lens barrel to the subject.

This lens has a small reproduction size of 0.078x, and is poor at producing images of small items up close. At close focus, F/5.6-8 were the sharpest, but there was little difference between F/4-11 due to the fact that there isn’t much detail to see this far from the stamp. As a side note; the “1996” on the bottom left of the stamp measures a mere 1mm wide.

As close as you can get. F/5.6. No larger image

Now for the conclusion.

This lens was designed for the purpose of being pocketable, inexpensive, and a platform for a couple of add-on converters, like a fish-eye and ultra wide. Sony did a good overall job with this lens, and I would consider the optical results good, but not great. Let’s ponder the good things; sharp in the centers, even wide open; very compact, and able to fit in the front pockets of relaxed fit jeans, or in a womens purse; and very low noise when focusing, which is great when shooting video. A few things that could be changed for the better, say in version II, is color fringing control, mid-section sharpness, and ghosting control.

If you have the NEX 18-55mm lens, and size is not a consideration, I’d forget about buying this 16mm, as it provides a mere 2mm of wider coverage, and is only 2/3 of a stop faster. Optical quality is probably similar, however, I didn’t test them directly. The Sigma 19mm F/2.8 is much sharper than this lens, although larger in size.

Currently, the NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens sells for about $100 when you buy the camera and lens as a “kit,” or $250 when purchased separately. If you want maximum portability, and don’t mind the 16mm fixed focal length, this is your lens. Finicky landscape shooters looking for a sharp prime lens will want to look elsewhere, like the superb CZ 24mm F/1.8, or Sony 50mm F/1.8 OSS, although neither one will provide coverage as wide as the 16mm. Adding a crop factor of 1.5x, the NEX 16mm has the equivalent coverage of 24mm in 35mm camera terms.

If you’re thinking of purchasing the Sony NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens, please shop at B&H Photo and help support this site! Thanks.

Here’s a brief look at the Sony NEX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 zoom lens. Scroll down for the main review.

Lens	Sony NEX E-mount 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 SEL1855
Box contents	Hood, front and rear caps and a user’s manual.
Cost	$300, or an extra $100 with camera as a kit.
Build quality	Very good.
Additional information	Introduced in 2010. Has built-in optical image stabilization or OSS, and a focus motor inside similar to SSM, not the cheaper SAM.
Specifications below
Optical configuration	11 elements in 9 groups
Angle of view	76°-29° APS-C
Aperture	7 blades, almost straight
Full frame and APS-C	APS-C only, and will only mount on E body cameras. With crop factor of 1.5x the coverage equals 27-82.5mm.
Depth of field and focus scales?	Nothing.
Min. focus distance, image plane to subject @ max reproduction ratio	9.8″ (0.25m)
Min. focus distance, end of lens barrel to subject @ max reproduction ratio	5.5″ (140mm)
Hard stop at infinity focus?	No
Length changes when focusing?	No
Focus ring turns in AF?	No
Filter size	49mm
Filter ring rotates?	No
Distance encoder?	Yes
Max magnification	0.30x, or 1:3.33
Min. F/stop	F/22-32
Sony teleconverter compatible?	No
Length changes when zooming?	Yes
Dimensions WxL (my measurements)	2.45″ x 2.37″ 62mm x 60mm.
Maximum extended length (my measurements)	3.3″ (83.5mm)
Weight bare (my scale)	6.8oz (194g)

Requisite product shots.

Front element

Backside mount

NEX 5 with 18-55mm lens and included hood

Fully drawn in

Fully extended

X-ray view and MTF chart

Only the Sony NEX 5 was used for this review.

For a better understanding of terms and methods used in this review, go here.

The new NEX cameras are currently offered with two lens choices (as of 9/10), a pancake 16mm, and our review lens, the NEX e-mount 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6. This zoom lens is very similar in optical performance to theSony DT 18-55mm SAM lens but outwardly is very different. There is no mistaking the build quality and materials used in the construction of this lens with the cheap plastic DT 18-55mm lens. The NEX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 (Made in Thailand) is build solidly, has a nice smooth zoom and manual focus action, along with a silent auto-focus motor which is great for keeping focus noise out of movies. You’ll also notice the OSS, or optical steady shot, built into the lens, a first for Sony. Sony and Minolta AF (a-mount) lenses have no image stabilization, instead, Sony uses in-camera body sensor-shift type image stabilization.

Fit and finish are very good. The lens appears to be clad in metal, although it does have a plastic extension tube and filter ring. It also has a metal mount and the ability to use 49mm filters. The color is silver, like stainless steel, but seems to turn color slightly with a different angle of light, see product shots above. Strange, but true; the specs say circular aperture, but I start to see heptagons less than one stop down in background highlight blur, which means it’s not a true circular aperture. that’s no big deal, I’m just pointing it out.

The zoom action is smooth and dampened properly in my opinion, and holds its position well, so there is no zoom creep. Focal length index marks come at 18mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 55mm, and the EXIF data matches those lengths. As a side note; this lens shows EXIF data for every focal length possible, everything between 18-55mm!

In the box: Sony says it comes with front and rear caps, a hood, and an owner’s manual.

Focusing. This lens auto-focuses quickly, mostly accurately—and without a peep. It’s much smoother and quieter than the loud and obnoxious focusing Sony 18-55mm SAM lens. The front filter ring doesn’t turn when focusing, so your polarizers and grads will work great. Added later—focusing using multi-area has about a ten percent miss rate for some reason. I’ve used spot and center (but not nearly as much as multi) without any problems.

Lens flare/ghosting. Above average control for a telephoto zoom by today’s standards, and similar in performance to the 18-55mm SAM kit lens.

Color fringing (CA). Below average control at the wide end where you’ll see plenty of red and cyan along the sides of the image, at all apertures. The long end has excellent control of lateral color fringing, with almost none visible.

Bokeh. Rather harsh overall, especially at the wide end, but is somewhat smooth as you near 55mm. Look below for sample crops.

Color. Same as other Minolta AF lenses.

Close up filter. N/A

Coma. Very minor coma at the widest focal lengths and largest aperture in the extreme corners. One stop down eliminates coma.

Regular filters cause no additional light fall-off when the aperture is fully open at either end of the focal length.

Filter size is 49mm. This size is not widely used by Sony, but is commonly available. Current Sony lenses that use this size are the 30mm F/2.8 macro and 28mm F/2.8.

Distortion. You’ll notice strong barrel distortion at 18mm, becoming flat around 22mm, then turning to moderate pincushion distortion at 55mm. Close focus through infinity focus seems to show about the same amount of distortion. Check out the cropped samples below.

Distortion examples directly below.

18mm, strong barrel distortion

55mm, moderate pincushion distortion.

Aperture/focal length guide.

Maximum aperture	F/3.5	F/4	F/4.5	F/5	F/5.6
Range	18mm-19mm	19mm – 30mm	30mm – 42mm	42mm – 51mm	52mm – 55mm

Focal length numbers carry through between apertures, which is normal. Interestingly, the 18-55mm lens has focal length EXIF data recorded for every number, 18 through 55.

Bokeh crops next.

18mm F/3.5	18mm F/5.6

55mm F/5.6	55mm F/8

Bokeh is harsh at 18mm, producing a noticeable ring around highlights, that’s typical for kit lenses. Towards the long end, the out of focus background highlights are rendered a little smoother. Crops are from the center of the image, about 10′ to 20′ (3m-6m) behind the focus point.

Coma crops next.

18mm F/3.5	18mm F/5.6

Coma is only barely visible in this 100% corner crop at 18mm, and then only when using the largest aperture.

Flare and ghosting.

18mm F/5.6	36mm F/5.6

55mm F/5.6	18mm F/5.6

Ghosting control is very good, and these images show very little in the way of colored dots or blurred circles. I see just a few spots (middle of palm trees) in the 18mm, F/5.6 vertical image, bottom right, and a minor smudge at 36mm, F/5.6, (no hood was used), top right, which is just off to the left of the image. Using my hand to shade the lens would’ve eliminated that smudge.

Light fall-off.

Light fall-off or corner shading is very light at both ends, and really isn’t noticeable in actual images. Regular filters don’t cause any additional light fall-off at either end, or when using a wide aperture.

18mm F/3.5	18mm F/5.6

55mm F/5.6	55mm F/8

Center sharpness.

Below are crops from the image centers at 18mm.

F/3.5	F/5.6

F/8	F/11

Center sharpness is very good even with the lens wide open. I think F/5.6-8 is probably the optimal aperture in the centers at this focal length. Diffraction causes softening at F/11. The fuzzy stuff under the cactus is a spider web.

Below, crops from the 18mm mid-section.

F/3.5	F/5.6

F/8	F/11

At the mid-section, sharpness is best at F/5.6-8, and there is a noticeable change in sharpness as you stop down. Diffraction sets in at F/11.

Below are the corners at 18mm.

F/3.5	F/5.6

F/8	F/11

Again, the F/5.6-8 crops look pretty good, especially for the extreme corners. Some light fall-off is visible in the corners when the crops are presented like this, that’s why they’re a little darker than the center crops. This particular image crop doesn’t show the color fringing that takes place at the wide end, look below for a good example.

Lateral color fringing.

18mm, F/8 extreme left side at middle of image

Here’s the rather strong color fringing I was talking about at the top of the page. This image crop was taken from the extreme left side at 18mm, F/8. You’ll see the red and cyan fringing along the tree trunk at middle left, and the rocks at the bottom.

Center sharpness at 55mm.

Below are crops from the image centers at 55mm.

F/5.6	F/8

F/11	F/16

Center sharpness at full telephoto is just a hair soft at F/5.6, (mostly noticeable in the tree limbs on the upper right side), but closing the aperture to F/8 sharpens things up nicely.

Below, crops from the 55mm mid-section.

F/5.6	F/8

F/11	F/16

At the mid-section, things look very similar to the center crops.

Below are the corners at 55mm.

F/5.6	F/8

F/11	F/16

The extreme corners are soft, with low contrast, and need an aperture adjustment to sharpen them up. Fortunately, just a stop down and things look much better. All crops in each section have the same exposure values.

Let’s check out the macro capabilities of this lens.

Below, check out the 100% cropped portion of the full image. The sample shot was taken with the NEX 5 14.2MP camera. The subject is a standard US stamp, 0.87″x 1.0″ or 22mm x 25mm. Also, note the macro shot was taken as close to the subject as focusing allowed; in this case a short 5.5″ (140mm), measured from the front of the lens barrel to the subject.

This lens has a large reproduction size of 0.30x, and shows a nicely detailed stamp shot. At close focus, F/8 was the sharpest, but there was little difference between F/5.6-11. Don’t try to compare this shot with other lens macro shots that were taken with the A700, as this NEX system shot was taken with a higher pixel sensor. As a side note; the “1996” on the bottom left of the stamp measures a mere 1mm wide.

As close as you can get. F/8. click for larger image

Now for the conclusion.

This kit zoom lens turned in a pretty good performance overall, and works best at F/5.6-8, which is good news too. The long end has some good qualities, like smooth bokeh or background highlight blur, lack of color fringing, and very good overall sharpness, although a little soft at F/5.6 in the extreme corners. The wide end is very sharp in the centers and mid-section, but the extreme corners need to be stopped down; and of course don’t forget the strong color fringing and distortion that occurs at and near 18mm. There is a slight lack of contrast with the lens towards the long end, (noticeable in the macro shot), but that’s normal for an inexpensive kit type lens, you can’t have everything. None of these things are a big deal unless you stare at your images all day blown way up on your computer screen, or have a high megapixel camera like the NEX-7.

This lens is similar in optical performance to the Sony 18-55mm A-mount lens, but there are some noticeable differences other than optical qualities, like the fact that this NEX e-mount lens is built much better, and is smoother when zooming and manually focusing. Also, the NEX 18-55mm silent, and pretty fast focusing motor is light years ahead of Sony’s poorly implemented SAM focusing system, just be aware of the focusing issue as mentioned at the top. Bottom line; check your shots using the LCD!

The NEX e-mount 18-55mm makes a good lens to keep permanently on your NEX camera (unless you have the NEX-7), it’s not so big and heavy to become burdensome, and just small and light enough to be pocket-able, well, maybe not your jeans pocket, but a jacket pocket definitely!

Below you’ll find specifications for all Sony ‘E’ mount cameras, from the most recent at the top, to the oldest at the bottom.

Model	A6400
Price	$900 body only 1-19. Available Feb, 2019.
Effective megapixels	24.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view, Vlogger touch screen.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600, 32000 expandable to 102,400.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	4k and lesser modes.
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.9″ 120mm x 67h x 49d
Weight	15.98oz 453g with battery and card
Additional info	upgraded heavily from 6300 model in the video and AF performance. No IBIS.

Model	A7 III
Price	$1999 body only, Feb 2018.
Effective megapixels	24.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, touch screen, tilt-up/down only.
Lens	N/A
Zoom	N/A
Recording media	Two slots, SD, and combo slot for Memory stick/SD
Image stabilization	Yes, 5 axis sensor shift.
ISO range	100-51200. 50 and 204800 in expanded mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec mechanical.
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 0.5″ 2.36m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.6mm x 23.8mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 -5- 2 sec delay; plus other options
Flash	No
Movie mode	4K 30fps
Power source	NP-FZ100
Dimensions	5″ x 3.8″ x 2.9″ 126.9mm x 95.6h x 73.7d
Weight	23.2oz, 650g with battery.
Additional info	Serious upgrade from original A7, but same sensor pixel count.

Model	A7R III
Price	$3199 body only, Oct 2017.
Effective megapixels	42.4
LCD monitor	3.0″ 1.440,000 pixels, touch screen, tilt-up/down only.
Lens	N/A
Zoom	N/A
Recording media	Two slots, SD, and combo slot for Memory stick/SD
Image stabilization	Yes, 5 axis sensor shift.
ISO range	100-32000. 50 and 102400 in expanded mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec mechanical.
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 0.5″ 3.7m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.9mm x 24mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 -5- 2 sec delay; plus other options
Flash	No
Movie mode	4K 30fps
Power source	NP-FZ100
Dimensions	5″ x 3.9″ x 3.0″ 126.9mm x 95.6h x 73.7d
Weight	23.2oz, 657g with battery.
Additional info	Serious upgrade from original A7R.

Model	A9
Price	$4499 body only, April 2017.
Effective megapixels	24.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 1.440,000 pixels, touch screen, tilt-up/down only.
Lens	N/A
Zoom	N/A
Recording media	Two slots, Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	Yes, 5 axis sensor shift.
ISO range	100-51200. 50 and 204800 in extended mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec mechanical, 30 sec-32,000 electronic.
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 0.5″ 3.7m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.6mm x 23.8mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 -5- 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	4K 30fps
Power source	NP-FZ100
Dimensions	5″ x 3.9″ x 2.5″ 126.9mm x 95.6h x 63.0d
Weight	23.7oz, 673g with battery.
Additional info	All new series, aimed at pro fast action and video shooters.

Model	A6500
Price	$1399 body only 10-16.
Effective megapixels	24.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out touch screen.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, all SD
Image stabilization	Yes, 5-axis type.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600, expandable to 51200.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10, 5, 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	4k and lesser modes.
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 2.1″ 120mm x 67h x 53d
Weight	15.98oz 453g with battery and card
Additional info	Successor to a6300, with touch screen, 5-axis sensor shift stabilization, and much improved video and AF.

Model	A6300
Price	$998 body only 3-16.
Effective megapixels	24.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600, expandable to 51200.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	4k and lesser modes.
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.9″ 120mm x 67h x 49d
Weight	14.25oz 404g with battery
Additional info	Successor to a6000, but a little larger and heavier. .

Model	A7SII
Price	$2999 body only, September 2015.
Effective megapixels	12.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 1.228,800 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	Yes, 5 axis sensor shift.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600/51200/102400. 50 and 204800/409600 in extended mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 2.4m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.8mm x 23.9mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 -5- 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.7″ x 1.9″ 126.9mm x 94.4h x 48.2d
Weight	22.12oz 627g with battery.
Additional info	Upgrades include internal 4k video, and image stabilization.

Model	A7RII
Price	$3199 body only, August 2015.
Effective megapixels	42.4
LCD monitor	3.0″ 1,228,800 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	sensor shift, 5 way.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600 /51200/102,400. 50 in extended mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 2.36m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.8mm x 23.9mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Internal 4K
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.8″ x 2.4″ 126.9mm x 95.7h x 59.7d
Weight	22oz 625g with battery.
Additional info	Big new features (among others) include sensor based image stabilization and improved grip, internal 4k recording, and new back illuminated 42mp sensor.

Model	A7II
Price	$1699 body only, December 2014.
Effective megapixels	24.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 1,228,800 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	sensor shift, 5 way.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600. 50 in extended mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 2.36m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.8mm x 23.9mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.8″ x 2.4″ 126.9mm x 95.7h x 59.7d
Weight	21.1oz 599g with battery.
Additional info	Big new features (among others) include sensor based image stabilization and improved grip over A7.

Model	A7S
Price	$2499 body only, summer of 2014.
Effective megapixels	12.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600/51200 /102400. 50 and 204800/409600 in extended mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 2.4m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.8mm x 23.9mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.7″ x 1.9″ 126.9mm x 94.4h x 48.2d
Weight	16.1oz 489g with battery.
Additional info	Apparently designed for Video nuts that like to work in low light.

Model	A5100
Price	$549 body only 8-14.
Effective megapixels	24.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, tilt-out touch screen.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens. .
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.3″ x 2.5″ x 1.4″ 110mm x 63h x 36d
Weight	9.98oz 283g with battery
Additional info	Slightly downgraded A6000.

Model	A6000
Price	$648 body only 4-14.
Effective megapixels	24.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.8″ 120mm x 67h x 45d
Weight	12.13oz 344g with battery
Additional info	Sucessor to NEX-7.

Model	A5000
Price	$598 with 16-50mm PZ lens, 3/14.
Effective megapixels	20.1
LCD monitor	3.0″ 460,000 pixels, tilt-up only touch screen.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens. .
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/16000
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Flash sync	1/160 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type, GN4 at ISO 100.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.6″ x 1.2″ 110mm x 63h x 36d
Weight	7.4oz 210g without battery and lens.
Additional info	New touch screen for low end model.

Model	A7R
Price	$2298 body only, 12/2013.
Effective megapixels	36.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	50/100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600 selectable in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments. Base ISO is 100, below that uses trick mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/160 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses 2.4m electronic type.
Sensor size	35.9mm x 24mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.7″ x 1.9″ 127mm x 94h x 48d
Weight	14.4oz 407g without battery and lens.
Additional info	Highest megapixel Sony camera thus far. No Low pass filter.

Model	A7
Price	$1698 body only, 12/2013.
Effective megapixels	24.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, tilt-up/down only.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	50/100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600 selectable in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments. Base ISO is 100, below that uses trick mode.
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/8000 sec
Flash sync	1/250 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses XGA OLED electronic type.
Sensor size	35.8mm x 23.9mm full frame.
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	No
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	5″ x 3.7″ x 1.9″ 127mm x 94h x 48d
Weight	16.7oz 474g without battery and lens.
Additional info	Has both phase and contrast detect for AF.

Model	NEX-3N
Price	$498 with 16-50mm PZ lens, 4/13.
Effective megapixels	16.1
LCD monitor	3.0″ 460,000 pixels, has tilt-out and up 180° screen. .
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/16000
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type, GN6 at ISO 200.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.4″ x 1.4″ 110mm x 62h x 35d
Weight	7.4oz 210g without battery
Additional info	New low resolution screen.

Model	NEX-6
Price	$849 body only, 11/12.
Effective megapixels	16.1
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No, uses electronic viewfinder, 2.4m dot resolution.
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD and lesser modes.
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.7″ 120mm x 67h x 43d
Weight	10.1oz 287g without battery
Additional info	New hybrid focusing system like the NEX-5R has. Also has new ISO standard hotshoe.

Model	NEX-5R
Price	$649 body only, 9/12.
Effective megapixels	16.1
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out and up 180° screen, and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.4″ x 1.6″ 111mm x 59h x 38d
Weight	7.4oz 210g without battery
Additional info	New hybrid focusing system. Beginner to Intermediate model, replaces NEX-5N.

Model	NEX-F3
Price	$599 with kit lens, 6/12.
Effective megapixels	16.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out and up 180° screen, and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/16000
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.7″ 117mm x 67h x 41d
Weight	9.0oz 255g without battery
Additional info	Beginners model, replaces NEX-C3.

Model	NEX-7
Price	$1199 body only 10-11. Production problems (flooding of facilities) caused very limited stock until mid-2012.
Effective megapixels	24.3
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/16000
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.5mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, pop up type.
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.7″ x 2.6″ x 1.7″ 120mm x 67h x 43d
Weight	10.3oz 291g without battery
Additional info	First intermediate level NEX camera. Uses same sensor as A77.

Model	NEX-5N
Price	$599 body only 9-11
Effective megapixels	16.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	100/200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800/25600
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.4mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, comes with camera, but has to be attached to top
Movie mode	Full HD
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.4″ x 1.5″ 111mm x 62h x 38d excluding grip and lens mount
Weight	9.5oz 269g without battery
Additional info	Minor upgrade to NEX-5. Uses new 16.2mp sensor.

Model	NEX-C3
Price	$599 with 16mm lens 8-11
Effective megapixels	16.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.4mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, comes with camera, but has to be attached to top
Movie mode	Yes, 1280x720p 30fps, and 640×480 30fps using MPEG-4
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.4″ x 1.3″ 110mm x 60h x 33d excluding grip and lens mount
Weight	7.9oz 225g without battery
Additional info	Very minor upgrade to NEX-3. Smaller body, and a 16.2mp sensor.

Model	NEX-5
Price	$699 with lens 7-10
Effective megapixels	14.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.4mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, comes with camera, but has to be attached to top
Movie mode	Yes, up to full HD (1920×1080 60i) using AVCHD, or lower using MPEG-4
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.4″ x 2.4″ x 1.6″ 111mm x 59h x 38d excluding grip and lens mount
Weight	8.1oz 229g without battery
Additional info	Comes in silver or black.

Model	NEX-3
Price	$599 with lens 7-10
Effective megapixels	14.2
LCD monitor	3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view.
Lens
Zoom
Recording media	Memory stick, SD
Image stabilization	No, uses OSS, or optical steady shot in the lens.
ISO range	200/400/800/1600/3200/6400/12800
Manual controls	Absolutely
Shutter speed	30 sec – 1/4000 sec
Optical viewfinder	No
Sensor size	23.4mm x 15.6mm APS-C
AF assist lamp	Yes
Timer	10 sec – 2 sec delay
Flash	Yes, comes with camera, but has to be attached to top
Movie mode	Yes, 1440×1080 30p using MPEG-4
Power source	NP-FW50
Dimensions	4.6″ x 2.5″ x 1.4″ 117mm x 63h x 33d excluding grip and lens mount
Weight	8.4oz 239g without battery
Additional info	Down-grade to NEX-5; no full HD movies, slightly larger size and lesser build quality, and no wireless remote support. Comes in silver, red and black.

Go here for an up-to-date list of all lenses that will fit this mount. The chart below does not have the newest lenses listed, and I don’t plan on updating it as the list of native ‘E’ mount system lenses is becoming quite large and a bit overwhelming to display this way. This chart is from the old site, and won’t display well with photojottings.

Please note; the specifications given here are probably more accurate than the official manufacturers website. Most of the discrepancies involve aperture, weight and dimensions, not a big deal. On the lenses I have, I’ve been able to corroborate my information below-which may be different from the manufacturer.

Note on MSRP’s. I’ve listed the MSRP prices for when the lens was introduced. I think it’s more fun to know what the lens was offered at years ago. Go to the review for current prices.

For full specifications, go to the review if available.

Full frame lenses directly below, APS-C immediately following. I believe I’ve listed all lenses that fit the Sony E, and FE systems; that is, with the correct mount. You can mount almost any brand lens on these cameras without it having the correct mount; meaning Canon, Nikon, Pentax lenses etc, however, you must use an adapter, and so far, performance results are mixed, and adapter quality varies.

Remember; all ‘a’ mount lenses work properly on the ‘E’ mount, you just need an adapter, either the Sony LA-EA4 which supports auto focus, and the LA-EA3, which is manual focus only.

All FE (full frame) lenses

Check price

Make

Model number

Lens description

Original MSRP

Review?

Image stabilization?

Magnification

Groups-Elements

Min. Aperture

Aspherics?

Aperture blades

Weight

Dimensions

Filter diameter

Box contents

Entered market

Additional information

B&H

Zeiss

ZE2520BFE

Zeiss (Batis) Distagon T* 25mm F/2

$1300

0.19x

8-10

F/22

Yes, 4

11.8oz (335g)

3 1/8″ x 3″ (81 x 78mm)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2015

Has organic light emitting diode display for focusing and DOF

B&H

Sony

SEL28F20

Sony FE 28mm F/2

$450

0.13x

8-9

F/22

Yes, 2+

7.05oz (200g)

2 1/2″ x 2 3/8″ (64 x 60mm)

49mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2015

Attachments can be added to this lens

B&H

Adorama

Sony

SEL35F14Z

Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm F/1.4 ZA

$1600

0.18x

8-12

F/22

Yes, 4

22.3oz (630g)

3 1/8″ x 4 3/8″ (78.5 x 112mm)

72mm

Front-rear lens caps, case and hood.

2015

Sony’s first fast 35mm lens.

B&H

Sony

SEL35F28Z

Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm F/2.8 ZA

$800

Yes

0.12x

5-7

F/22

Yes, 3

4.3oz (120g)

2 3/8″ x 1 1/2″ (61.5 x 36.5mm)

49mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

First ‘FE’ prime lens.

B&H

Zeiss

2103-749

Zeiss Loxia 35mm F/2 Biogon T*

$1300

0.17x

6-9

F/22

12oz (340g)

2 7/16″ x 2 5/16″ (62 x 59mm)

52mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2014

First Loxia wide angle lens for Sony FE. Manual Focus only.

B&H

Voigtlander

BA428B

Voigtlander VM 40mm F/2.8 Heliar

$399+

$309

0.12x ?

3-5

F/22

Yes, 1

4.7oz (132g)

2″ x 5/8″ (52 x 21.4mm)

37mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2014

Need to buy adapter to work. Manual only. Collapsible design.

B&H

Mitakon

MTK50MF095BK

Mitakon Zhongyi 50mm F/0.95

$900

0.14x

7-10

F/16

25oz (720g)

2 5/8″ x 3 3/8″ (68.5 x 87mm)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, case and hood.

2014

So far, the fastest lens for the FE system. Manual focus only.

B&H

Zeiss

2103-748

Zeiss Loxia 50mm F/2 Planar T*

$950

0.14x

4-6

F/22

11.3oz (320g)

2 7/16″ x 2 5/16″ (62 x 59mm)

52mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2014

First Loxia normal lens for FE Sony. Manual focus only.

B&H

Sony

SEL55F18Z

Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm F/1.8 ZA

$1000

Yes

0.14x

5-7

F/22

N/A

9.9oz (281g)

2 1/2″ x 2 3/4″ (64.5 x 70.5mm)

49mm

Front-rear lens caps, softcase and hood.

2013

First ‘FE’ ‘normal’ prime lens.

B&H

Mitakon

MTK85MF12SE

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 85mm F/1.2

$800

0.12x

6-9

F/16

32.5oz (921g)

Unknown at introduction.

77mm

Front-rear lens caps, case and hood.

2015

De-clicked aperture ring for video shooters.

B&H

Zeiss

ZE8518B

Zeiss (Batis) Sonnar T* 85mm F/1.8

$1200

Yes

0.13x

8-11

F/22

N/A

16oz (475g)

3 1/8″ x 3 5/8″ (81×92)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2015

Has organic light emitting diode display for focusing and DOF.

B&H

Sony

SEL90M28G

Sony FE 90mm F/2.8 Macro G OSS

$1100

Yes

1.0x

11-15

F/22

Yes, 1

21.3oz (602g)

3 1/8″ x 5 1/4″ (79×130.5)

62mm

Front-rear lens caps, case and hood.

2015

First FE macro, internal focus.

B&H

Sony

SEL1635Z

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F/4 ZA OSS

$1350

Yes

Yes

0.19x

10-12

F/22

Yes, 5

18.2oz (518g)

3 1/8″ x 4″ (78 x 98.5mm)

72mm

Front-rear lens caps, softcase and hood.

2014

First ‘FE’ Zeiss wide-zoom.

B&H

Sony

SEL2470Z

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F/4 ZA OSS

$1200

Yes

Yes

0.20x

10-12

F/22

Yes, 5

15.2oz (430g)

2 7/8″ x 3 3/4″ (73 x 94.5mm)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, softcase and hood.

2014

First ‘FE’ Zeiss mid-zoom.

B&H

Sony

SEL24240

Sony FE 24-240mm F/3.5-6.3 OSS

$1000

Yes

0.27x

12-17

F/40

Yes, 5

27.6oz (780g)

3 1/4″ x 4 3/4″ (80.5 x 118.5mm)

72mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2015

First FE travel zoom.

B&H

Sony

SEL2870

Sony FE 28-70mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS

$500

Yes

Yes

0.19x

8-9

F/22-36

Yes, 4

10.5oz (295g)

2 7/8″ x 3 3/8″ (72.5 x 83mm)

55mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

First available ‘FE’ zoom lens.

B&H

Sony

SELP28135G

Sony FE 28-135mm F/4 OSS G PZ

$2500

Yes

0.15x

12-18

F/22

Yes, 5

43oz (1215g)

4″ x 6 1/2″ (102 x 165mm)

95mm

Front-rear lens caps, case and hood.

2014

First hobbyist ‘cinema’ lens for Sony.

B&H

Sony

SEL70200G

Sony FE 70-200mm F/4 G OSS

$1500

Yes

Yes

0.13x

15-21

F/22

Yes, ?

29.7oz (840g)

3 1/4″ x 7″ (80 x 175mm)

72mm

Front-rear lens caps, vinyl case and hood.

2014

First available ‘FE’ telephoto constant aperture zoom lens.

APS-C lenses.

Fixed length Wide to medium

Check price

Make

Model number

Lens description

Original MSRP

Review?

Equiv focal length in 135 format

Image Stabilization?

Magnification

Groups-Elements

Min. Aperture

Aspherics?

Aperture blades

Weight

Dimensions

Filter diameter

Box contents

Entered market

Additional information

B&H

Rokinon

28FE8S-SE

Rokinon 8mm F/2.8 fisheye E-mount

$349

Yes

18mm

N/A

8-10

F/22

Yes, 1

7.65oz (217g)

2 3/8″ x 2 1/8″ (60 x 56mm)

None

Front and rear lens caps, and cheap carrying case.

2012

Manual focus and aperture. Comes in silver or black.

B&H

Zeiss

2030-526

Zeiss Touit 12mm F/2.8

$1250

Yes

18mm

0.11x

8-11

F/22

Yes, 2

9.2oz (260g)

2 1/2″ x 3 3/16″ (65 x 81mm)

67mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

New super wide Zeiss branded E-mount prime with AF.

B&H

Rokinon

RK12M-E

Rokinon 12mm F/2

$400

Yes

18mm

0.10x

10-12

F/22

Yes, 2

8.6oz (245g)

2 7/8″ x 2 5/16″ (72.5 x 59mm)

67mm

Front and rear lens caps, fabric carrying bag and hood.

2014

New super wide Rokinon or Samyang with fast aperture and manual focusing.

B&H

Sony

SEL-16F28

Sony NEX 16mm F/2.8

$250

Yes

24mm

0.078x

5-5

F/22

Yes, 1

2.3oz (65g)

2 3/8″ x 7/8″ (62 x 22.5mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps.

2010

New Sony NEX E-mount pancake lens; also branded as a Hasselblad.

B&H

Sigma

400

Sigma 19mm F/2.8 EX DN E-mount

$199

Yes

28.5mm

0.135x

6-8

F/22

Yes, 3

5.0oz (143g)

2 7/16″ x 1 3/4″ (61 x 46mm)

46mm

Front and rear lens caps, hood and padded softcase.

2012

New Sigma EX DN for E-mount. Restyled for 2013. Black or silver.

B&H

Sigma

400

Sigma 19mm F/2.8 EX DN E-mount

$199

Yes

28.5mm

0.135x

6-8

F/22

Yes, 3

5.0oz (143g)

2 7/16″ x 1 3/4″ (61 x 46mm)

46mm

Front and rear lens caps, hood and padded softcase.

2013

Restyled version of above. Black or silver.

B&H

Sony

SEL-20F28

Sony NEX 20mm F/2.8

$350

Yes

30mm

0.083x

6-6

F/16

Yes, 3

2.4oz (69g)

2 1/2″ x 13/16″ (62.6 x 20.4mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps.

2013

New Sony NEX E-mount pancake lens

B&H

Sony

SEL-24F18Z

Carl Zeiss T* Sonnar E 24mm F/1.8 ZA

$999

Yes

36mm

0.25x

7-8

F/22

Yes, 2

7.8oz (220g)

2 5/8″ x 2 11/16″ (63 x 66mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps, hood and softcase.

2011

New Carl Zeiss design for Sony NEX system.

B&H

Sigma

330

Sigma 30mm F/2.8 EX DN E-mount

$199

Yes

45mm

0.12x

5-7

F/22

Yes, 2

4.8oz (135g)

2 3/8″ x 1 1/2″ (61 x 39mm)

46mm

Front and rear lens caps, and padded softcase.

2012

New Sigma EX DN for E-mount. Restyled for 2013. Black or silver.

B&H

Sigma

330

Sigma 30mm F/2.8 EX DN E-mount

$199

Yes

45mm

0.12x

5-7

F/22

Yes, 2

4.8oz (135g)

2 3/8″ x 1 1/2″ (61 x 39mm)

46mm

Front and rear lens caps, and padded softcase.

2013

Restyled version of above. Black or silver.

B&H

Zeiss

2030-678

Zeiss Touit 32mm F/1.8

$900

Yes

48mm

0.11x

5-8

F/22

7.8oz (220g)

2 1/2″ x 2 13/16″ (65 x 72mm)

52mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

New Zeiss branded E-mount prime with AF.

B&H

Mitakon

MTK35MMBKFSA

Mitakon Zhongyi 35mm F/0.95

$800

52.5mm

0.15x

7-10

F/16

N/A

24oz (680g)

2 1/2″ x 3 1/4″ (64 x 82mm)

58mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

Fastest prime for the ‘E’ system.

B&H

Sony

SEL-35F18

Sony NEX 35mm F/1.8 OSS

$450

Yes

52.5mm

Yes

0.15x

6-8

F/22

N/A

7.05oz (200g)

2 1/2″ x 1 13/16″ (63 x 45mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

New Sony OSS prime.

B&H

Sony

SEL-5018

Sony NEX 50mm F/1.8 OSS

$300

Yes

75mm

Yes

0.16x

8-9

F/22

7.1oz (202g)

2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ (62 x 62mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2011

New Sony design with OSS.

B&H

Sigma

350965

Sigma 60mm F/2.8 DN A

$240

Yes

90mm

0.14x

6-8

F/22

Yes

6.5oz (185g)

2 5/16″ x 2 1/4″ (61 x 57mm)

46mm

Front and rear lens caps, padded case and hood.

2013

New Sigma ‘Art’ series lens for NEX and MFT. Black or Silver.

Macro

Check price

Make

Model number

Lens description

Original MSRP

Review?

APS-C equivalent

Image stabilization?

Magnification

Groups-Elements

Min. Aperture

Aspherics?

Aperture blades

Weight

Dimensions

Filter diameter

Box contents

Entered market

Additional information

B&H

Sony

SEL-30M35

Sony NEX 30mm F/3.5 Macro

$250

Yes

45mm

1.0x

6-7

F/22

Yes, 3

4.9oz (138g)

2 3/16″ x 2 1/2″ (55 x 62mm)

49mm

Front and rear lens caps and small hood.

2011

New Sony design with odd shaped hood and no OSS

B&H

Zeiss

2030-680

Zeiss Touit 50mm F/2.8 Macro

$1000

75mm

1.0x

11-14

F/22

Yes

10.2oz (290g)

2 9/16″ x 4 1/16″ (65 x 104mm)

52mm

Front and rear lens caps, and hood.

2014

New Zeiss branded E-mount macro with AF.

Zooms

Check price

Make

Model number

Lens description

Original MSRP

Review?

APS-C equivalent

Image stabilization?

Magnification

Groups-Elements

Min. Aperture

Aspherics?

Aperture blades

Weight

Dimensions

Filter diameter

Box contents

Entered market

Additional information

B&H

Sony

SEL-1018

Sony NEX 10-18mm F/4 zoom OSS

$850

Yes

15-27mm

Yes

0.10x

8-10

F/22

Yes, 3

8.0oz (225g)

2 1/2″ x 2 7/8″ (63 x 70mm)

62mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2012

First super-wide Sony NEX zoom lens with OSS.

B&H

Sony

SELP-1650

Sony NEX 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 retractable zoom OSS

$350

Yes

24-75mm

Yes

0.215x

8-9

F/22-36

Yes, 4

4.1oz (116g)

2 5/8″ x 1 3/16″ (65 x 30mm)

40.5mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

New Sony NEX kit retractable power zoom lens with OSS

B&H

Sony

SEL-1670Z

Sony E mount 16-70mm F/4 zoom OSS

$1000

Yes

24-105mm

Yes

0.23x

12-16

F/22

Yes, 4

10.8oz (307g)

2 5/8″ x 2 7/8″ (66 x 75mm)

55mm

Front-rear lens caps, softcase and hood.

2013

First E Mount constant aperture mid-range zoom lens, has OSS; also branded as a Hasselblad.

B&H

Sony

SEL-1855

Sony NEX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 zoom OSS

$300

Yes

27-82.5mm

Yes

0.30x

9-11

F/22-32

Yes, 3

6.8oz (194g)

2 3/8″ x 2 5/16″ (62 x 60mm)

49mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2010

Original Sony NEX kit zoom lens with OSS

B&H

Sony

SELP-18105G

Sony E mount 18-105mm F/4 G power zoom OSS

$600

27-157mm

Yes

0.11x

12-16

F/22

Yes, 3

17oz (482g)

3 1/16″ x 4 5/16″ (78 x110mm)

72mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2013

Power zoom feature with contant F4 aperture, and OSS too!

B&H

Sony

SEL-18200

Sony NEX 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 zoom OSS

$800

Yes

27-300mm

Yes

0.35x

12-17

F/22-40

Yes, 4

18.5oz (524g)

3″ x 3 15/16″ (76 x 99mm)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2010

New Sony NEX super-zoom lens with OSS, also branded as a Hasselblad.

B&H

Sony

SEL-18200LE

Sony NEX 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 ‘LE’ zoom

$850

27-300mm

Yes

0.27x

13-17

F/22-40

Yes, 4

16.3oz (460g)

2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ (68 x 97mm)

62mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2012

Rebadged Tamron B011 model below.

B&H

Sony

SELP-18200

Sony NEX 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 OSS power zoom

$1200

27-300mm

Yes

0.35x

12-17

F/22-40

Yes, 4

22.9oz (649g)

3 3/4″ x 3 7/8″ (93 x 99mm)

67mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2011

Optically the same as the Sony 18-200mm, but with ‘Power zooming’.

B&H

Tamron

B011

Tamron NEX 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di lll VC

$740

Yes

27-300mm

Yes

0.27x

13-17

F/22-40

Yes, 4

16oz (459g)

2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ (68 x 97mm)

62mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2011

First aftermarket lens for Sony NEX system

B&H

Sony

SEL-55210

Sony NEX 55-210mm F/4.5-6.3 OSS

$350

Yes

82-315mm

Yes

0.22x

9-13

F/22-32

Yes, 2

12.2oz (345g)

2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ (64 x 108mm)

49mm

Front-rear lens caps, and hood.

2011

New Sony NEX telephoto zoom lens with OSS

Minolta AF Teleconverters, 1.4x and 2x II APO

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Gear Reviews, Legacy Tagged with AF II, APO, Minolta, Teleconverter

Here’s a brief look at the Minolta AF II APO teleconverters. Scroll down for more info. Lens Minolta AF 1.4x and 2x teleconverters II APO Box contents Both come with front and rear caps, plus a nice carrying case. Cost N/A Build quality Very Good. Value That all depends. For Sony users, not a very good value. See Sony teleconverters …

Miscellaneous Lens Comparisons

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Comparisons, Lens Reviews Tagged with 35mm, AF, Comparison, F/1.4 G, F/2, Lens, Minolta, Misc, Sony

Sony 35mm F/1.4 G and Minolta AF 35mm F/2

Mt. Lemmon Color Tour 2008

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Editorials, Legacy Tagged with 17-35mm, 2008, A900, Color Tour, F/2.8-4, Konica Minolta, Mt. Lemmon, Sony

NEX 3-5 Review

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Gear Reviews, Legacy Tagged with 3-5, Camera, NEX, Sony

NEX camera quick review

Sony NEX 16mm F/2.8 Review

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Legacy, Lens Reviews Tagged with 16mm, F/2.8, Lens, NEX, Sony

Here’s a brief look at the Sony NEX 16mm F/2.8 lens. Scroll down for the main review.

Lens Sony NEX E-mount 16mm F/2.8 SEL16F28 Box contents
Front and rear caps and a user’s manual. Cost $250, or an extra $100 with camera as a kit. Build quality Very good, but super light-weight. Additional information
Introduced in 2010. Has a focus…

Sony NEX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS Review

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Gear Reviews, Legacy Tagged with 18-55mm, F/3.5-5.6, Lens, NEX, OSS, Sony

Here’s a brief look at the Sony NEX 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 zoom lens. Scroll down for the main review. Lens Sony NEX E-mount 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 SEL1855 Box contents
Hood, front and rear caps and a user’s manual. Cost $300, or an extra $100 with camera as a kit. Build quality Very good. Additional information
Introduced in 2010. Has built-in optical…

Sony E Mount Cameras

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Sony 'E' mount cameras Tagged with Camera, Collection, E Mount, Sony

Below you’ll find specifications for all Sony ‘E’ mount cameras, from the most recent at the top, to the oldest at the bottom.

Model A6400 Price $900 body only 1-19. Available Feb, 2019. Effective megapixels 24.2 LCD monitor 3.0″ 921,600 pixels, TFT TruBlack™ has tilt-out screen and live view, Vlogger touch screen. Lens Zoom Recording media Memory stick, SD Image…

‘E’ Mount Lens Chart

Jun 25, 2014 Posted in Comparisons, Legacy Tagged with Chart, Comparison, E Mount, Lens

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