This is not for everybody. This is heavy in all senses of the word.

Availability of the Sony 500 mm f/4 G SSM: end of March 2012.

Main features:

• Guide Number: 43 (ISO 100)
• Bounce Flash: Click positions: up (30° / 45° / 60° / 75° / 90° / 120° / 150°); down (8°); right (30° / 45° / 60° / 90°); left (30° / 45° / 60° / 90°)
• Recycling time (based on Sony measurement): Approx. 2.9 seconds (with alkaline battery)
• Battery performance (based on Sony measurement): Approx. more than 200 flash cycles (with alkaline battery)
• Power level switching: 22 levels: (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128), 1/3 steps
• Other features: Auto WB Adjustment with Color Temperature Info; Auto zoom control optimized for image sensor size; High-Speed Synchro; Modeling Lighting; Test Lighting; Multi Lighting. Supports camera’s Red-eye reduction feature. Built-in wide panel and bounce sheet. High quality LCD screen.

The HVL-F43AM flash will be available in early June 2011 at the price of 330€.

The other accessories will arrive on the distributors’ shelves as quickly as mid-May.

• VCT-55LH: 52€
• LCS-AMB: 50€
• ALC-SH111: 20€

Press release – 13 April 2011

HVL-F43AM external flash with GN43, Quick Shift Bounce adjustment, wireless ratio control and dust/moisture resistant design
More new α system accessories: VCT-55LH bracket, LCS-AMB soft carrying case and ALC-SH111 lens hood

HVL-F43AM external flash

With a powerful output of GN43 (105mm ISO100 m), the compact yet versatile HVL-F43AM flash from Sony is optimised for superb results with all A-mount cameras.

As featured on the HVL-F58AM, the innovative Quick Shift Bounce system allows flash head position to be adjusted instantly when switching between horizontal and vertical compositions. This maintains consistent shadow positions regardless of camera orientation, allowing easy creation of natural-looking ‘bounce’ effects.

Smart flash functions open up even broader creative lightning possibilities. Wireless Ratio Control makes it easy to select light emission ratios for up to three separate flash units*. This allows quick creation of sophisticated multi-point lighting effects without the need for complex professional equipment.

Ideal for everyday shooting and more serious applications, its dust- and moisture-resistant design makes the HVL-F43AM ideal for demanding assignments, indoors or outside.

Flash power levels are switchable in 22 increments, from 1/1 through to 1/128 level in 1/3 steps. High output power is complemented by a quick 2.9 second (approx.) recycling time. Despite the flash’s extensive functions, operation is refreshingly clear and simple via the high-quality LCD screen and direction buttons.

See the HVL-F43AM external flash by Sony for the α camera system here: HVL-F43AM external flash

VCT-55LH bracket

The VCT-55LH is a versatile mounting bracket that offers space for mounting additional ISO cold shoe accessories. A useful add-on for all A-mount cameras by Sony, the bracket can also be used with E-mount cameras such as the NEX-5, NEX-3 and the Handycam® NEX-VG10E HD camcorder.

Other accessories – like a shotgun microphone – can be securely mounted while the camera’s main shoe is occupied. The VCT-55LH is ideal for use with the CLM-V55 clip-on LCD monitor that offers a clear, high-resolution view of images during video and still shooting.

Please find more information about the VCT-55LH bracket by Sony here: VCT-55LH bracket

Soft Carrying Case LCS-AMB

The LCS-AMB carry case protects your A-mount camera and attached standard zoom lens while you’re travelling. A special suspended partition cradles the camera securely while allowing quick access. Finished in durable black polyester material, the case can be slung over a shoulder using the supplied strap, carried by the grab handle or attached to a belt. It also features handy pockets with space for up to two extra batteries, spare memory card and lens cap. (NB: Not compatible with DSLR-A900/A850).

See the soft carrying case LCS-AMB by Sony for the α camera system here: Soft Carrying Case LCS-AMB

Lens Hood ALC-SH111

Compatible with DT 35mm F1.8 SAM and 85mm F2.8 SAM lenses, this round-profile hood shades from direct sunlight to prevent glare and lens flare.

The new HVL-F43AM external flash, VCT-55LH bracket, LCS-AMB soft carrying case and ALC-SH111 lens hood for α cameras by Sony are available from Spring 2011.

See all accessories by Sony for the α camera system at www.sony.co.uk/hub/dslr/accessories

Here is very good news for the Sony customers. But it’s even better when we read the list of names that Sony immediately provided: Lens manufacturers having already expressed their interest in designing lenses for the E-mount:

• Zeiss, traditional ally of Sony around the A-mount of Alpha SLR cameras.
• Tamron, old friend of the orange house, and partner back in the Minolta times.
• Cosina, owner of the very elitist Voigtländer brand.
• Sigma, manufacturer of the broadest range of compatible lenses.

Assuredly, this type of talks is usually very discreet. Here, Sony decided to strike our imaginations in one big marketing blow, demonstrating their clear intent to develop the NEX range of hybrid mirror-less cameras in the best conditions for a long life. The message has been received loud and clear.

• “we’re really quite dedicated to developing products for both the A-mount system and the E-mount system because we do believe that both have roles to play” : Mark Weir clearly indicates that the NEX (E-mount) and Alpha (A-mount) ranges are not designed to compete against each other by to be complementary and to reach different targets. This is certainly not a surprise, but it’s good to hear it said clearly.
• “we absolutely understand and value the point about the continuity that an interim A700 successor model would have offered, but we prioritized the development of new capabilities, new benefits, and new technologies such that the A700 successor will be a truly unique and revolutionary product” is a key sentence where the Sony manager tells us that the spirit of continuity with the A700 does not have priority over the development of new revolutionary technologies. Who would not think about the semi-transparent mirror of the Alpha SLT (A33 and A55). This way, it is nearly completely confirmed (see more about it below), but it can also be understood as referring to many other improvements to come soon (at least, Electronic ViewFinder quality and -maybe- a record resolution for the sensor which may well be identified as a revolution).



• “everyone will realize that it was very valuable to first develop the technologies and the capabilities” has to be translated from marketese into plain English with some kind of We had too much in our hands, too much to work on, before we could build the product we wanted”. Elsewhere in the interview, it is easily understood that Sony did not want to work simultaneously on everywhere and that the A33/A55 developments must have been eating the lion’s share or the R&D resources. “We can’t do everything at the same time, so let’s spread it over time and let’s start with big-volume cameras.”
• Mark Weir also clearly state that the A700 successor will be located between the A580 and the A850. Some will want to read this truism as the hope that a traditional viewfinder will be maintained against the possible semi-transparent Pellix-type mirror and an EVF, but I believe that nothing can stop the impetus acquired by the technological transformation aforementioned. And the following phrase (“the A700 successor […] will incorporate the translucent mirror technology.“) is without any doubt: the A77 will have a semi-transparent mirror. This is now certain. Mark Weir then defends this approach by publicly stating that the associated improvements will reduce the last worries and win the last complaints back.
• Another remark about the Full Frame cameras, “the market has shifted increasingly toward the use of APS-C cameras, even in the enthusiast and semi-pro space” could well trouble those waiting for the replacement of the Alpha 850. More or less, if the market forces everybody to have high-end Full Frame photo cameras, sales go to the high-end APS-C photo cameras. We must admit that the limited success of Sony within the pro public, but it’s true that, inside Nikon or Canon, the same problem is certainly present too; with the critical difference that those two brands have a very strong presence in the pro market and probably have a slightly different perception of (and an easier path to) this constraint. As repeated by many observers, Sony still must prove worthy for pro photographers to collect the associated brand image, but the Sony Marketing is at a loss to find the means to this end. The consequence will certainly be a little less pleasant: Sony will wait more before working on an Alpha 950 (or Alpha 99) for Full Frame cameras. As everybody murmurs it, let’s not discuss this any longer before 2012.
• Some more fuzzy comments about the difficulties to ship the Alpha 580 will not shed any new light on the issue. The camera is still hard to find, but these suggest simultaneous issues of primary parts procurement and manufacturing capacity. We will probably never learn anything more precise from a Sony employee in front of a microphone.
• The zoom lenses included in camera kits are selling exceptionally well (“the 55-200mm telezoom or the 70-300mm telezoom that is promoted at the time of purchase really represents a tremendous part of the lens units that are sold.“). Nobody will be surprised by such a statement knowing that all camera manufacturers build camera kits at prices obviously attractive. But at a noticeably lower level of sales, Sony sees a real success for the 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 (“The other part of the business is the lenses that are sold to enthusiasts, and these are typically wide-aperture 24-70mm or wide-aperture 70-200mm“). This is recognition of the value of lenses designed and bought to be present for a long time in the expert photographer’s bag (when I was saying the same…) But Sony also makes significant efforts to present high-end prime lenses (prime = not too expensive, or 150-250€).
• “What you are seeing is the emergence of hybrid silent AF motors.” is the introduction to a list of commentaries to explain that Sony will keep on developing SSM lenses (ultrasound motor AF, expensive but very quiet) along with SAM lenses (hybrid motor AF, cheaper and somewhat quiet). the E-mount lenses are designed from inception to be silent (for video capture), but the A-mount range shall also receive more lenses designed to satisfy the video lover in Alpha suit. To my eyes, this part contains too much warm water to warrant for a clear future and the marketroid who’s talking probably translates Sony’s indecision on this issue. He even goes to the point of defending the use of external microphones…
• “there’s full aperture control with movie capture in SLT right now, it’s just not with AF at the same time.” will certainly stop most dreams short for some people still hoping to get both fast AF and free choice of lens aperture. As Mark Weir finely explains, it is mostly a matter of technical limitations and the only hope left is to give contrast-based AF enough time to improve slowly (for the time being, for technical limitation, phase detect AF can only work at wide open A-stop – or up to f/5.6).
• One short mention to confirm the 500mm G f/4.0 prime lens, without giving even a hint of a launch date.
• the end of the interview covers the evolution of the different markets and requires to be analyzed with a big grain of salt in front of the statements from the other camera manufacturers, but it can be summarized in telling that all manufacturers think that 2011 will be a good year for photography and that Sony wants it to be a good year for 3D photography (Sony decided to heavily bet on 3D in all of its markets).

As we can see, this is one of those rare interviews where a brand representative openly speaks and provides a lot of precise data without hiding it behind a heavy curtain of unreadable bad English. Congratulations to Imaging Resource which had already shown their ability to write excellent gear tests and demonstrate that they can also write other article kinds.

Today, Sony extended this to include the excellent lenses from Carl Zeiss, but it is less significant than the already large set of tele-lenses from Minolta. Actually, this company had designed an impressive set of long focal prime lenses and a nice set of pro zoom lenses.

Wildlife photographers will actually find a wealth of very good quality lenses even if some of them are either second-hand lenses or re-branded Minolta lenses incorporated into the Sony line-up. But the best news for them is that since Sony incorporates Image Stabilization in the body rather than the lenses, all old Minolta glass immediately got IS when used on a Sony SLR camera like the Alpha 700 or the Alpha 900. A real treat for people willing to use second-hand lenses from eBay…

Amateur

If your priority is to keep the total budget at a rock bottom level, there are two interesting lenses to watch for. The first and most impressive one if the 70-400mm f/4-5,6G SAL-70400G. A recent design from Sony, this is widely considered as the best zoom lens of this category (Canon 100-400mm offering is just not as good and Nikon’s 80-400mm is clearly of lower quality). The price is not small but it gives quite a focal length range.

Interestingly, there is another lens that Sony wildlife SLR photographer should also consider: The 500mm f/8 Reflex SAL-500F80 is a mirror (or reflex) lens, so it brings all the good and bad of such a technology.

Good: Impossibly light 500mm lens (stabilized by the SLR body, of course) with a reasonable quality.

Bad: The fixed aperture is forcing to choose shutter speed against ISO sensitivity.

Bonus: While most mirror/reflex lenses do not allow AF, this is the only reflex lens on the market that can auto-focus on all the Alpha-series SLR bodies.

Speaking of cameras, Sony has a large choice (too large?) of SLR cameras. I will risk a recommendation of the Alpha 55. Despite being really flawed for video capture (an overheating sensor is strongly limiting the length of video clips), it offers an excellent 16MP digital APS-C photo sensor with good AF and amazingly fast continuous shooting rates (10 fps) if you can tolerate the ugly electronic viewfinder.

For landscape photography, use the Sony 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 DT SAL-1870 that will probably come in kit with your camera bosy. This is a bargain.

Enthusiast

The expert photographer will take advantage of second-hand lenses and this is the real good surprise of the Sony solution for wildlife and nature photographers. Prices can drop significantly here while I recommend taking advantage of the exceptional prime lenses available.

Your first choice must be second-hand since these are only from Minolta: Select the 300mm f/4 APO G and the 400mm f/4,5 APO G (two of the “white primes” of the pro G line of Minolta). Relatively light weight and impressively good quality makes these obvious choices. The only real issue is that the 400mm is very rare. You may have to spend some real time looking for it even on eBay. Despite that, prices stay at a reasonable level.

Quite significantly, all the APO G tele-lenses have been designed by Minolta with the focal multipliers in mind, to the point that the focal doubler doesn’t degrade images as much as doublers for Canon or Nikon brands). I recommend strongly the 1,4x multiplier from Sony (or the older Minolta branded if it is a mint-quality second-hand).

Currently, Sony problem is that there is no SLR body that can seriously be recommended here: The Alpha 55 electronic viewfinder will not satisfy any of the enthusiast photographers. The only reasonable choice is between the Alpha 850 (or Alpha 900) and the upcoming/promised replacement for the Alpha 700. A full frame SLR like the A850/A900 is tempting because of its exceptionally good price (under 2000$) but you will loose the focal extension provided by APS-C sensors while the A850/A900 are not very reactive (relatively slow AF and limited continuous shooting). The Alpha 700 is still a good camera at a very good price, but it is now ready for a replacement in 2011. If Sony does not install in it one of their (successful but ugly) electronic viewfinders, the Alpha 750 (tentative name) will be a better choice.

Complementing the initial prime tele-lenses, you would add a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-2470Z (same as before) and possibly a Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-1635ZA. Both are expensive and heavy gear, but you can’t get any better.

In between, a Konica Minolta 200mm f/2.8 APO G AF would be a nice complement for a relatively short tele lens.

Pro

Unfortunately, Sony does not provide a perfect solution set at the pro level. The camera body choice will be limited by the same constraints as above for the expert/enthusiast (either A850/A900 or future A750). 2011 may also bring a new pro-level SLR camera body but nothing is really certain here.

Nevertheless, the long prime lens choice is relatively easy: Go for the Sony 300mm f/2.8 G SAL-300F28G which has all the bells and whistles of the top-quality glass deriving from the original Minolta design updated to the latest standards (including SSM smooth focus).

While you could keep the good old Minolta 400mm f/4,5 APO G previously mentioned, I am sure you are thinking about a 500mm. Unfortunately, while Sony has been showing models, we are still waiting for this lens (probably in February 2011). Quality should be there, since price and weight will be no issue.

As for the expert, before, these tele-lenses will be complemented with a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-2470Z and a Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* SAL-1635ZA. I would also add the pro-level (G-series) Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G SAL-70200G zoom lens, for its quality and its SSM focus.

Conclusion

Really, Sony takes full advantage of the existing Minolta line-up of lenses. For example, the Minolta 400mm f/4,5 APO G is simply impressive for a cost usually under 2000$ and a weight compatible with most back-packs.

However, the mix of new technologies and relative lack of understanding of pro photographer needs for the SLR camera bodies, puts Sony is a dire position. It is no surprise that, currently, Sony cameras are not often seen in the bags of photo-safari travelers.

However, the arrival of new 2011 SLR bodies and of a world-class 500mm f/4 prime lens could gradually change this.

In between, Since we don’t often see wildlife photographers equipped with Sony gear, here is a David Bittner video clip where you may find some of the lenses lenses and camera bodies listed above. Will you be able to recognize the 300mm f/2.8 lens or the 70-200mm zoom?

When they presented the new Sony Alpha 560 and Sony Alpha 580, yesterday, Sony published a family photo for the two Alpha and NEX ranges. Nobody is missing.

But two products are obviously absent:

• The Sony Alpha 700 has been removed completely from the photo.
• There no longer is any 500mm f/8 mirror tele-lens (which was from the Minolta portfolio of AF lenses).

I would predict that this is disclosing what comes next…

Can you find some more absent friends?

Sony just announced that this lens awaited as a key item in the Sony NEX range will be available from September 10th, 2010 at the steep price of 99,750 yens, or about 920 euros.

Optical stabilization, focal range equivalent to 27-300mm, aluminium alloy finish; This should be a nice object.

photo credit: nhuhoai

• Samsung NX line would receive 3 new lenses according to Korean DDaily: Pancake 20mm, 20-50mm zoom and Macro 60mm lens.
• Canon could come with 3 lenses of its own: Possibly including an EF 16-50 f/4L H-IS.
• Panasonic already announced a 3D lens for the micro-4/3 (Lumix G-series). It should be visible in September and available in December.
• Samyang (the new company you should consider for compatible lenses) is readying a 35mm f/1.4 with manual focus, for the Samsung NX line. 8mm (fisheye) and 85mm have been rumored too.
• Nikon is said to be preparing at least three lenses: Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.4G N, Nikkor 24-120 f/4 ED VR N, Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 ED VR DX. They could possibly add a 18-200mm f/5.6 or a 28-300mm f/5.6.
• Sony has already said that we will see a 500mm f/4 G (big grey tele-lens for rich pro photographers) and a wide-angle lens Zeiss Distagon T* 24 mm f/2 ZA SSM, but the rumour has that it will not be the only lenses for the Alpha series. Sony could also present one or two lenses for the NEX line, on top of the 18-200mm already promised for mid-September 2010.

Of course, those could be announced a little before the Photokina show (brands try to steal the wind from the other by moving ahead of time).

Sony did not wait for Photokina to announce a batch of three new lenses for the Alpha line of DSLR photo cameras.

• The Distagon T* 24mm f/2 ZA SSM (SAL24F20Z) complements the already existing beautiful large-aperture wide-angle lenses from Carl Zeiss (Planar (SAL85F14Z) and Sonnar (SAL135F18Z)). It should be priced high but appealing for most experienced and serious photographers.
• The DT 35mm f/1.8 SAM (SAL35F18) is very specific but bring extra-large aperture, at a reasonable cost (no SSM, just SAM motorization of focus).
• The 85mm f/2.8 SAM (SAL85F28) should be a strong sell for portraiture photography. Compact and light (175g).

photo credit: davidgsteadman

When buying a photo camera, we often research in order to decide if this is the best camera, if its features will be goo enough, but will it be robust enough? Will it be useful or necessary to purchase a warranty contract extension? Will it fail very soon?

When somebody asks me these questions (and it happens quite often since I consider myself some kind of photography expert), I am usually without good answers; Nobody really speaks about this dirty little secret: Reliability of photo cameras is a taboo issue. In most cases, talking only happens for very extreme situations (I will not mention any pro camera events in the past few years). But on a daily basis, will my camera follow me everywhere? will it survive the bad treatment I will apply? Or will it fail at the sight of the first cloud (of dust or rain)? Preferably just a couple of days after the end of the warranty period?

photo credit: Orin Zebest

So, I decided to collect more than the usual information to try and answer these questions with more than: Entry-level cameras are too cheap to be robust, are less protected than pro cameras; And, mechanics fail more than electronics.

And, I found a few interesting articles with adequate documentation. Of course, they are the rightful product of the business of some shops repairing or renting equipment and accepting to share their data with us.

And I found interesting data. For example, there is nearly no information on photo cameras, or camera bodies. But SquareTrade published rather detailed report about the repairs they did in the recent years (though mostly on point-n-shoot cameras) with some frightfully clear conclusions, like:

• More than 10% of the cameras failed before 2 years
• The statistical projection tells that there are/will-be more than 15% failure within 3 years
• Accidents are a major cause for failure: 40% of cameras were broken in such a way; We are rougher than our cameras!
• The more expensive, the more robust
• For SLR cameras, Canon and Nikon go hand-in-hand

And to think that the failure rate of major brands is around 4% within two years for a camera whose price is nearing 1000€…

But, look at the graph below:

I would like to believe that you can extend these figures out of point-n-shoots and into the SLR market, but my own professional experience with quality and reliability management (in the automotive world, if you want to know) tells me that we should not even try.

On the opposite, I found additional data about interchangeable lenses to plug into our SLR cameras. Two studies from LensPlay and LensRentals bring some more light to the issue.

From LensPlay, hundreds of lenses and users have been analyzed: among the voluntary answers provided for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta/Sony, Tamron, Tokina and Sigma, only Minolta/Sony produced less than 200 answers (a pretty nice representation of the market).

LensRental gives us a finer status because they go down to a model-by-model level. So, it’s no longer necessary to compare brands, but you can get a good idea of which glass piece is more fragile or more sturdy than others, forgetting about the good (or bad) fames.

We also appreciate a lot some of the additional comments like:

• The super tele prime lenses (300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4) from either Canon or Nikon are among the more reliable lenses (their simplicity is probably a good reason for such a score).
• The Sigma 120-400mm & 150-500mm had a 45% repair rate (as long as they were included in the LensRentals catalog of products).
• The Canon 50mm f/1.2 and Sigma 100-300mm are well under 10% (which is considered a good level in LensRentals)

Of course, these raw figures must be taken with a grain of salt: Rentals are often more mis-handled than bought parts, but the relative results are quite certainly representative of the underlying reality. And for example, the Canon 100-400mm seems to have an unfair bad fame about the reliability of its stabilization mechanism.

All in all, many reasons to treat your photo hardware with some care…

Sources:

• PetaPixel
• LensPlay
• LensRentals

There also will be a new ultra-compact camera with interchangeable lenses. The presented mock-ups are quite small indeed:

But, apart from the rare occasions when you really need it, it’s too expensive for you and me. Why not build it yourself? Instructables does the demonstration with a Nikon D90, but it could be done with any other camera.

Since Sony took over the photo activities of Minolta, we observed a considerable evolution on the lens range. There were only lenses from the Minolta original range (mainly on the second-hand market), but Sony associated with Zeiss to build a full-spectrum offer covering more and more and providing a good answer to the needs from entry-level to pro (going through the expert/enthusiast amateur).

Alpha-Numérique has a good and clear summary panorama of this young but rich product line in a French post: La gamme optique Sony / Zeiss.

Obviously, this is a pro-level mechanical design. You immediately notice the weight of this zoom lens (at no less than 1.9 lbs (860g), this is not a cheap plastic lens). Some photographers may even find it too heavy for ease, but if you tend to use your wide-angle zoom on a tripod, you won’t notice it and it will bring some additional stability to the SLR Alpha-series camera body.

The bulk of the objective is in relation, but it offers several noticeable advantages:

1. The lens length does not change when you zoom
2. The front lens does not rotate when zooming or focusing (since you need very fine polarizers on such a wide-angle, it’s better that way)
3. the focus and zoom rings are wide, well located and easy to reach
4. The AF-lock button on the side is well located
5. The depth-of-field window is large and quite readable

Now, if you start playing with the lens, as I did on a Sony Alpha 700, the operation is very smooth. Obviously, the presence of the SSM motor is helping a lot and AF operation is nearly totally silent, while very fast.

Now, I could not yet evaluate the image quality (the lens is announced as having a high IQ), and I will provide some more info when I will be able to play with it (probably during my trip to Nepal next week).

But you can also find a similar tool at Olympus (and it takes into account the specificities of 4/3 sensor format, of course): Perfect Lens finder.

• 16.2 MP full frame sensor EXMOR R (new technology)
• 100-25600 ISO
• 8 frame/sec
• SSI, same a900 OVF, new AF system,
• GPS and WiFi built-in
• 3.5″ LCD display
• Pop-up flash
• Flash sync: 1/500s
• Camera level
• 23 AF sensors
• Quick Live View
• Video Full HD
• Dust/splashes sealed
• Aluminum-magnesium alloy body
• Released early September 2009

It seems that everybody is now expecting Sony too announce/launch at least one more SLR camera (after the Sony Alpha 230, Alpha 330 and Alpha 380).

I am not sure this leak is real (it looks too much like the wet dream of a techno-geek maniac), but it’s worth waiting for a new SLR photo camera to go and replace or complement the existing Sony Alpha 700.

What seems certain: Sony promised to present two more high-end lenses in 2009 (one super-tele-photo, maybe a 500mm f/4.5, and a beautiful 28-75mm f/2.8 zoom); We expect both lenses and new body to be announced simultaneously.

I recommend reading a nice little post titled “All lens tests are wrong” that concludes that the only good test for a lens is to use it during a full year.

Not wrong, but I still recommend to also check my list of web sites with photo lens reviews.

The 70-400mm lens test draws the interesting conclusion that “this large very well-built telezoom lens provides high-quality images, and the slight decrease in definition above 300 mm will be compensated by a slight accentuation increase.” JM Sépulchre also points to the serious competition that the 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 gives it from inside the Sony lens range, for 30% less money.

Tamron focal length comparison

DPreview has a good comparison of 4 zoom lenses opening at f/2.8 for SLR cameras:

• Canon 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
• Nikon AF-S VR 70-200mm F2.8 G
• Sigma 70-200mm 1:2.8 EX DG Apo Macro HSM II
• Tamron 70-200mm 1:2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro

Since they are one of the most coveted segment of the SLR lens market, it was worth mentionning despite the absence of some serious participants like the Sony SAL-70200G – 70-200mm f/2.8 G-Series offering (originating back into the days of the great white lenses from Minolta) or the Pentax SMC-FA* 80-200mm f/2.8 [IF] ED.

It is often difficult to group lens reviews in order to compare/evaluate a little more than their mere physical characteristics (focal length, aperture/diaphragm, or even number of individual lenses). But how would you evaluate/review optical quality? When I see the really impressive differences between two lenses, I would be prepared to judge from their price, but a cheap wide-angle lens is not always worse than a slightly more expensive one (well… if the price difference is really large, it’s not only an accident and quality explains a lot).

So, where should we go?

I collected the addresses of some web sites appearing quite able to provide this kind of quality reviews/comparisons/evaluations/tests (I try to be systematic, with your help, while telling what I believe are the strengths or the weaknesses of each one).

From here, I invite you to an orgy of lens reviews, lens tests, lens comparisons, lens evaluations. And remember to shoot some photos, too. It’s not only the lens which does the photo. Some are shot by telephones, if the photographer is an artist.

Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM

This long tele-zoom is going to attract a lot of enthusiasts loving long focal lenses when they do not want to loose the flexibility of a zoom lens. We will have to wait for January 2009, but Canon, Nikon and Sigma are no longer alone on this kind of field.

Amateurs of sports photo, wildlife photo (if they can gt enough light to use shutter high-speeds) will appreciate the pleasure of such a lens which will be at ease on all the Sony dSLR (and also on some of the older Minolta and Konica-Minolta).

Carl Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8

It was already seen on some images stolen and left on the Internet forums. This wide angle zoom is undisputably ideal for a Sony Alpha 900 which will so receive a great wide angle with a constant aperture. This is very nice, this will certainly be very expensive, but…

All the details about the Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM are in the original post on Roumazeilles.net.