First leaks about Zeiss lenses

[dirk]

Hi

this is nothing official, but maybe it is true:

http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_8382.html

In this article they mention the following Sony & Zeiss lenses. TRhis would be already 19 lenses and 2 teleconverters. Rumours are talking about a ZF (for Nikon mount) 25/2.0 and 60/2.0 Makro. It woudl be logical to offer all ZF lenses also for alpha mount. Like a ZA lens

1. Sony DT 11-18mm F4.5 - F5.6
2. Sony DT 18-70mm F3.5-5.6
3. Sony DT 18-200mm F3.5-6.3
4. Sony 24-105mm F3.5-4.5
5. Sony 16mm F2.8 Fisheye
6. Sony 20mm F2.8
7. Sony 28mm F2.8
8. Sony 35mm F1.4
9. Sony 50mm F1.4
10. Sony 50mm F2.8
11. Sony 70-200mm F2.8
12. Sony 75-300mm F4.5-5.6
13. Carl Zeiss Planar T 85mm F1.4 ZA
14. Carl Zeiss Sonnar T 135mm F1.8 ZA
15. Sony 135mm F2.8
16. Sony 300mm F2.8
17. Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro
18. Sony 500mm F8
19. Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro


And teleconverters

20. Sony 1.4x
21. Sony 2x

I wonder whether most of the Sony lenses are only Minolta lenses with a new sticker on them...

I would be very disappointed, if Zeiss would only offer 3-6 lenses for the Sony Alpha system. We can have that already with Nikon lens mount

According to this articel, the Alpha 100 DSLR shall have a 10.2 CCD chip (APS size). Sound familiar (Sony R1)...

It shall have AS and a Dust protection, 0.83 magnification of Viewfinder and a bright viewfinder. Price around 1000 USD

 

[dirk]

Regarding bodies:

I expect 2 more DSLRs. The Alpha 100 seems to be like a Minolta 5D, available in July, so I expect a replacemnet of the 7D and a "9D" at Photokina this year

 

[dirk]

FYI

there seems to be another Zeiss lens soon out there: Vario-Sonnar 3,5-4,5/16-80 mm. The official Press release will be probably tomorrow. I will disclose some specs of the apha 100 in the news section of camera-info soon...

 

[albert4321]

Those SONY f/1.4 and f/2.8 lenses sound attractive. If their body has night-shot mode like the other SONY p&s cameras, it would be a good IR (Infrad Red) system.

 

[dirk]

The news are out, jus look in the nes section of www.camera-info.com or click on news in the navigation bar.

The US site of Sony had a couple of minutes also some pages availabel (are closed now). Alpha 100 body only for 899, with Kit zoom 18-70 999 USD.

here some images:

 

[dirk]

and here is a preview of dpreview:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/sonydslra100/

 

[wang]

''Rumours are talking about a ZF (for Nikon mount) 25/2.0 and 60/2.0 Makro''

I quite agree that one of the new ZF is 60 f2 Makro-Planar, but the new Distagon is very unlikely to be a 25mm

Let us see some depth of view scales.

ZM 35 2 f22 is at about 1.6m

Leica R35 2.8 f22 is about 1.55m

C-Y 28 2.8 f22 is about 0.8m

C-Y 25 2.8 f22 is about 0.75m

The new ZF distagon f22 is about 1.4m.

Judging from the DoF scale, the new Distagon is likely to be a 35mm-32mm. The chance for it to be 28-25mm is minimal.

 

[wang]

The new Sony system is not exciting at all.

I just sold my R1 because it does not have a good macro. The image is not very crisp, not as crisp as the Canon. I might consider Sony alpha if it is full frame, but it isn't. I might consider Sony if it has a decent Zeiss Makro-Planar,but it hasn't.

Even if Zeiss made the ZF60 f2 with Sony mount, it might not be very good. ZF60 2 is designed for 35mm but not for smaller frame. My experience taught me that whenever smaller frame is applied to lens for bigger frames, it always leads to compromised optical performance to variable degree. Canon is smart enough to recognize this fact and so she designed the EF-S lenses. These lenses have superior performance compared to EF lenses when they are used in smaller frame cameras.
I am not sure what are the other Sony lenses are. If they are just the same as the previous Minolta lenses for 35mm, they would not be very good for the smaller frames.

Why shouldn't lenses for bigger frame not to be used in smaller frame sensor ? I am no good in optics. If the lens elements are make bigger than they ought to be, they will have higher optical noise. This is why the EF-S lenses are welcomed addition to the small frame cameras.

I am keeping myself with 350D, unless Sony has better alternatives.

 

[dirk]

Hi Chi,

just wait until Photokina. As I mentioned alraedy in January the new Zeiss lenses for the new Sony DSLR system are designed for full-frame...

Regarding the Alpha A100. It seems really targeted at the Minolta 5D/Canon 350D/Nikon D50 usergroup. Although it might be better than a Minolta 5D, Sony seems to have specifically not used many knobs & dials like the 7D has and some features are more complicated to use with the Alpha A100 than with the Minolta 7D. i.e.

- to switch from AF to MF,
- to switch from CW-metering/matrix to spot metering,
- ISO Display in viewfinder
- sturdy body,
- Viewfinder quality,
- possibility to change the viewfinder screen,
- 1/8000s
- ISO 3200
- Better flash specs (?)
- size of the body for better holding it etc., etc.

IMHO these are all features a Contax Fan would like to have. I do not say with this that the Minolta 7D is like a Contax. I only say it is build in the direction. A direction for advanced amateurs who like to control what they are doing and who appreciate small solutions, which make big differences when you use your DSLR seriously.

On the pro side of the Alpha A100 there is :

- the higher MP (10MP, seems the Nikon D200 sensor, not the one of te R1 as I thought originally),
- probably a better image quality also because of the new processor
- ISO Auto from ISO 100 up to ISO 800 (I hope this time also availbabee in A and S)
- the anti dust feature.

I am very happy especially about the ISO Auto enlargement

So Sony clearly made the Alpha A100 not too exciting, to be able to sell also a 7D equivalent in the near future

But the Sensor specs are good at this time for this price (899.- body alone) and we can expect at least the same image qulaity from a midrange model and pro model over the next months.

With te ISO Auto they even surpassed Canon (Canon DSLRs go only up to ISO 400 in ISO Auto), only Nikon is still unbeaten. They use ISO Auto up to ISO 800 (D2x/D200 even hiher?) always in combination with a minimum shutter speed that you can choose yourself as an additional option.

What I like a lot is the idea of the Zeiss Zoom 16-80/3.5-4.5. I hope this to be as good as the N24-85/3.5-4.5. And it seems not be a "monster"as the N24-85. The price of around 690.- is also affordable.

 

[wang]

OK, I hope Sony will have a full frame camera..., so Photokina.

So you get what you want but I don't, I wa' a 100 Makro-Planar.