zoom – Roumazeilles.net https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress Technology opinions and others Thu, 13 Feb 2020 12:08:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Super-tele-lens at Sony https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/09/05/super-tele-lens-at-sony/ https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/09/05/super-tele-lens-at-sony/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:51:08 +0000 https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/?p=2276 We were waiting for it, we were speaking about it, we were murmuring. Here it comes. Sony just let some information leak about their new super-tele-lens to complete an already rather rich list of good quality lenses:

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

The Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM is described in the PDF documentation of the Sony 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G SSM. Obviously, they were designed together. It is a twist-zoom. This will differentiate quite notably from the push-pull type of others like the Canon 100-400mm and it should protect it efficiently against dust entry (and we know that this is the bane of push-pulls.

Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SMM - specification

The technical features can be read from this table. I can imediately notice that the diaphragm is staying between f/4 and f/5.6 (the golden standard of this type of zoom), that the weight is rather high (heavier than the Nikon and the Canon, nearly as much as the Sigma equivalnet) and that the minimum focus distance is very competitive.

Let’s wait for images and tests (and the price), but this could be the ideal lens to go and shoot in a wild-life safari.

Source: DPreview forums. See also my previous article about high-end tele-zooms.

]]> https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/09/05/super-tele-lens-at-sony/feed/ 1 Sony & Sigma on long tele zooms https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/01/31/sony-sigma-on-long-tele-zooms/ https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/01/31/sony-sigma-on-long-tele-zooms/#respond Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:29:55 +0000 https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/2008/01/31/sony-sigma-on-long-tele-zooms/ Today’s launches in Las Vegas have the advantage of offering good opportunities to make interesting comparisons. First comes to my mind the opposition of two high-end tele-zooms that should interest the enthusiast photographer looking toward sports, wildlife and even portrait:

Sigma APO 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM

  • Sigma APO 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM
  • Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G (SAL70300G)

Tous les deux visent la meilleure qualité possible pour une gamme d’application très large. Ils viennent en concurrence directe avec les offres équivalentes de Canon (EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS USM) et Nikon (F VR Zoom-NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED), par exemple. Tous sont des zooms ouvrant jusqu’à f/5.6 (pour maintenir un excellent couplage avec l’autofocus), tous sont stabilisés (Sony utilise la stabilisation au boitier, bien sûr), tous couvrent le champ complet d’un 35mm (APS-C ou Full Frame acceptés), les prix tournent autour de 1000€.

But, where I see Sigma rushing in the fight (probably trying to limit costs by cutting short the low-end of the range -where portrait photographers may suffer), I do not understand Sony’s choice of limiting itself to 300mm (only portrait will be satisfying). Portrait would be better served by a shorter zoom (bringing better aperture). Or by a prime lens of superlative quality as Sony (ex-Minolta) or Zeiss has the knowledge for.

We’ll have to see the exact characteristics and the image quality (the products on the market are among the best lenses possible in this category).

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