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Sony releases minor firmware updates for a9 II and 24mm F1.4 GM, 135mm F1.8 GM lenses

17 Jan

Sony has released minor firmware updates for its a9 II camera system, as well as its 24mm F1.4 GM and 135 F1.8 GM lenses.

For the a9 II, firmware version 1.01 improves the FTP transfer functionality to speed up how soon after shooting photos the images can be transferred. Additionally, the firmware update corrects a condition where the camera can sometimes turn off at random times when looking back through Raw images and improves JPEG image quality when shooting under certain, unspecified conditions.

Both the 24mm F1.4 GM and 135mm F1.8 GM receive, via firmware ’02,’ improved aperture response when the lenses are attached to Sony’s a9, a9 II and a7R IV camera systems, as well as the ability to select ‘Focus Priority’ from the ‘Aperture Drive in AF” menu when attached to Sony’s a9 camera system.

You can download firmware version 1.01 for Sony a9 II camera systems, as well as firmware version ’02’ for Sony’s 24mm F1.4 GM and 135mm F1.8 GM lenses for mac OS and Windows computers on Sony’s website. Details and instructions on how to install the firmware can be found on the respective download pages.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Gear of the Year 2019 – Rishi’s choice: Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM

23 Dec

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I love shooting wide. No, really: I made a whole video about how I even shoot portraits with wide-angle lenses. Wide-angles provide a sense of depth, dramatic perspectives, a glimpse into the subject’s surroundings and even provide an intimacy to portraits by giving the perspective of an observer standing very close to the subject. So you may be surprised by my choice of Gear of the Year: the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM.

Perhaps it’s just that I needed something different. Spice up my life, venture beyond 35mm, you know, my favorite ‘telephoto’ lens. Or, maybe Sony just made an amazing lens in the 135mm GM. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

135mm F1.8 allowed me to focus on my backlit subject, and nothing else. Look at that creamy background.

I took the Sony FE 135mm with me on a recent trip with family and friends, enjoying time together at a cabin and celebrating three years of keeping our daughter alive.

135mm really allows you to isolate your subject, and make it about nothing else, even if some of the environment is included. Rather than jumping around the frame from one point of interest to another, the viewer’s eye can just focus on one story which, below, is a simple one of one sibling looking up to another.

The ‘tunnel vision’ a long focal length paired with a fast aperture provides allows you to create simplistic images that tell just one story, like the love shared between these siblings.

That’s not to say that 135mm doesn’t allow you to portray your subject against its surroundings, it’s just that things are a bit different compared to a wide angle composition. Rather than include an expansive view of your subject’s surroundings with an enhanced sense of depth, the longer focal length allows you to compress your subject against only an isolated – and magnified – portion of its environment.

Take the image below: A wide-angle lens would have included the foliage, the sky, the ground, and other potentially distracting elements, all situated at different depths. This creates a more complex image with an enhanced sense of, well, depth. That can certainly be nice, but sometimes I like the simplicity of the subject and the background essentially appearing at just two different focal planes.

The 135mm focal length allowed me to ‘compress’ the scene, bringing the trees in the background closer to my subject(s), and allowing me to frame my subjects against the green foliage. The long focal length allowed me to magnify only a small portion of the background, allowing me to exclude distracting elements like the sky above or the ground below my subjects.

Technically, the FE 135mm GM lens is superb. Optically, the lens is literally the sharpest lens our friend Roger Cicala at LensRentals has ever tested. That’s at least in part due to the XA (extreme aspherical) element designed to minimize spherical aberration.

The Super ED and ED glass used in the elements in the front group replace traditional large and heavy negative elements commonly used to suppress longitudinal spherical aberration. The result is very little, if any, longitudinal chromatic aberration, commonly seen as purple and green fringing in front of, and behind, the focal plane, respectively.

The 135mm focal length allowed me to easily isolate my subject in this otherwise small and busy indoor space. And thanks to the excellent optics, there’s no distracting green fringing in the high contrast ‘Title’ text behind our subject, despite the fast aperture.

Sony’s 10 nanometer mold precision and other recent improvements ensure smooth aspherical surfaces, meaning that onion-ring bokeh is non-existent. An 11-blade aperture ensures circular out-of-focus highlights, and generally smoother bokeh, even when shooting stopped down. Sure, there’s some mechanical vignetting that leads to a ‘cat’s eye’ effect, but that’s to be expected of a lens of this type, and isn’t severe enough to result in swirly bokeh in the family portrait above.

Just as important as optical quality is the focus performance: especially for candid portraiture. And here the FE 135mm GM is industry leading: focus is lightning fast thanks in part to its four XD (‘extreme dynamic’) linear induction motors. These motors are far faster than the previous piezoelectric design of Sony’s ‘Direct Drive SSM’ system, and are capable of moving larger, heavier elements.

Paired with the excellent autofocus system of Sony’s recent cameras such as the a7R Mark IV, focus is fast enough that I could easily nail focus on the eyes of erratically running toddlers, even with the aperture wide open at F1.8:

This boy was running through a wading pool and momentarily smiled at the camera. Real-time tracking (with Eye AF) coupled with the extremely fast autofocus speeds of this lens allowed me to nail this moment effortlessly.

I’ll admit I’d rarely shot with 135mm primes in the past, typically sticking to a trio of primes (24, 35, and 85) for weddings, or 70-200mm F2.8 lenses for engagement and portrait shoots. I’ve found the 135mm F1.8 to be a different beast, requiring me to think and shoot differently, while often finding myself running further and further backward to get enough space in between my camera and my subject.

The results were, to me, very rewarding. The ‘tunnel vision’ effect of stepping back and using a longer focal length to isolate your subject and compress it against a small portion of its surroundings yields a unique look, particularly when paired with a fast enough aperture so that the background is pleasingly blurred and not distracting. Below, you’ll see my daughter surrounded by others in a park, but by herself in the wading pool happily marching to her own beat.

I couldn’t sum her up any better.

Marching to her own beat.

Note the exceedingly low magenta fringing (longitudinal chromatic aberration) around the water droplets splashing about in front of our subject, despite the magnifying glass the high resolution 60MP sensor of the a7R IV holds up to any lens’ optical aberrations.

Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM sample gallery

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* Of course I kid: my wedding kit always includes an 85mm, and I happily use 200mm for compression when I want to isolate my subject amidst its surroundings.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Prime Lens Comparison – 24mm vs 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm vs 135mm

29 Jun

The post Prime Lens Comparison – 24mm vs 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm vs 135mm appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video, Julia Trotti does a prime lens comparison with portrait photography.

You’ll learn about focal lengths, background-to-foreground separation and compression, and distortion.

Take a look.

In this video, Julia compares the following lenses using her Canon 5D MkIII:

Sigma 24mm f1.4
Canon 35mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.2
Canon 85mm f1.2
Canon 135mm f2

Julia first tests the lenses shooting full body photos with her model, Maralyn, from the same standing position to show how much background compression each lens shows, as well as the bokeh.

Then she does shots where her model fills more of the frame. To do so, she moves closer and further away to get the model in roughly the same position in the frame but showing what happens to the background in each shot.

The Sigma 24mm has the least background to foreground compression (shows more of the background) when doing full body shots.

The 85mm and the 135mm have great compression, and large background to foreground separation, with no distortion. The 135mm has the most background to foreground separation and compression of all these lenses.

Be sure to watch the video to see the photo examples that detail how the background compression is effected by each lens.

You may also find the following helpful:

How to use Focal Length and Background Compression to Enhance Your Photos

5 Important Focal Lengths to Know and the Benefits of Each

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing with Different Focal Lengths

8 Focal Lengths Illustrated

The post Prime Lens Comparison – 24mm vs 35mm vs 50mm vs 85mm vs 135mm appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

29 Mar

The post Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

Sony is here to turn your photography world upside down with its absolutely incredible technology and equipment. A name that is now leading much of the industry, Sony’s G-Master series of lenses have become big contenders in the photography game. As such, Sony has released approximately 30 G-Master lenses for their full-frame cameras. The newest addition to the collection is the Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM lens, which is now arguably the sharpest lens in the collection! I had the pleasure of testing this lens out fully at the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) show in Las Vegas late last month before the lens is even released to the public.

Image courtesy of Sony

To get the basics out of the way, the Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM is intended for full-frame cameras and is only mountable on the E-mount cameras. This lens has similar specifications to the other lenses in the G-Master line such as the Sony patented XD linear motor, Super ED glass, and Sony Nano AR (all of which we will get into later).

My primary experience with this lens was taking it for a test run at the WPPI convention in Las Vegas at the end of February and it was a pleasure to try it out before the general public.

Lens build

Upon first glance, I was immediately smitten with the aesthetic of this lens. Clean, sharp, and a beautiful black – this lens looks phenomenal (as even noted by a few of my photography clients). This lens measures at about 3 5/8th inches long and 5 inches tall, and is a very decent and comfortable size for its focal length – even when held by someone like me (small hands, yikes). The lens isn’t very heavy either, clocking in at only 33 ounces (2 pounds).

For a master telephoto lens, this one is quite easy to take on travels! Comprised of magnesium alloy, the lens is lightweight yet durable. The build feels incredibly solid, and I would not hesitate to bring it to difficult or uncomfortable shooting situations such as live concerts or the beach on a windy day. The lens is rather wide, which may be a downside to some, however, you must keep physics in mind. The lens must be wide to accommodate the F/1.8 aperture.

Image courtesy of Sony

The Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM features excellent weather sealing to help prevent wind, rain, dust, and dirt from entering important mechanical components. Alongside this, the lens is touted to be dust and moisture resistant. The lens glass has a pretty impressive build in its own right too. The glass has a fluorine coating on it to resist fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants. If these do end up on the lens, cleaning is easy. That said, I do still suggest purchasing a glass filter – being resistant to fingerprints is not beneficial to dropping or a significant bump!

Aperture ring & additional lens features

Image courtesy of Sony

All of the buttons on this lens made me a very happy photographer. Designed with professionals in mind, this lens features manual buttons and features such as the aperture ring, an aperture ring silencer, the focus range limiter switch, custom focus hold buttons, and an AF to MF finger switch.

As an avid Canon DSLR and EF lens user who had recently added a Sony mirrorless to the collection, the aperture ring was something a bit new to me. Intended to be beneficial during cinema work, instead of adjusting the aperture on the camera body, you have the option of adjusting its width on the lens. This ring can be adjusted to either be silent or make little clicks to indicate it is turning – very useful for silent shooting. For those that prefer to adjust the aperture on the camera body itself, you can set the dial ring to ‘A’ for automatic.

The focus ring features Linear Response MF, which gives you instantaneous and sensitive response (a big bonus if you’re brave enough to use manual focus to capture something that moves)!

A nice added feature to the Sony GM 135mm F/1.8 is the focus range limiter switch which restricts the range of distance your lens can focus. I use this feature myself when I photograph dog agility shows to ensure the lens doesn’t focus on any obstacles near me but remains locked on a running dog that is far away.

Alongside this, the lens also has customizable focus hold buttons on the side and top which let you control focus via buttons on the lens rather than just the camera. Extremely useful in low light situations where lenses tend to naturally ‘hunt’ for focus.

Focus

4 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

Where the Sony line particularly shines in the mirrorless game (if not the camera game as a whole) is in its Autofocus. For many of their mirrorless cameras, advanced algorithms provide high AF precision, and infrared technology allows autofocus to be achieved even in extremely low or difficult lighting situations. As well, various autofocus features such as “Eye Tracking” makes these kits superb pieces of machinery. Pair this with the autofocus of the lens, and you have a masterpiece.

This lens has two unique actuators called Extreme Dynamic (XD) Linear motors. These motors not only silence the autofocus but also allow the lens to focus significantly faster than many other motors.

5 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

The autofocus is speedy and constant. I can attest to this as a sports photographer. When continuous autofocus is enabled in the camera, the lens holds onto the subject of your choosing like its life depends on it. The lens won’t hunt very much (if at all) and can keep following even a spontaneously and erratically moving subject.

When I took this lens out for a spin at WPPI, I can attest that the focus was incredibly fast and sharp, and was able to follow a human subject throughout the entire range of movement, regardless of the obstacles in front or behind. Even when the subject walked into a crowd of people, the lens was able to figure out who I was photographing.

Sharpness

The sharpest lens in the G-Master lineup. Hands down. A bold statement, but I stand by it!

For most lenses, they are only very sharp in the center. Sony GM 135mm F/1.8 is sharp everywhere. From the corners to the center, allowing you the versatility of any composition under the sun.

6 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

The sharpness is also very consistent from shot to shot. I have had many instances in which I capture a sequence in a portrait and only the first or second shot is very sharp and the rest drop off a bit. Of course, to most photo viewers, this discrepancy isn’t very noticeable. However, the photographer’s eye can see it glaringly.

Another big bonus is that this lens does not have a vignette, which can be a common problem with wide apertures.

There is absolutely no reason to add sharpening in post-processing either.

The clarity and colors this lens produces are impressive. I found the images required significantly less retouching too.

Depth of Field

Image courtesy of Sony

“Wide aperture” is my favorite phrase to hear. Truly. My photographic aesthetic dwells heavily on shallow depth of field. With my work as a concert photographer, the low light capability brought forth by wide apertures is a must-have. The F/1.8 aperture of this lens is terrific (although my obsession with my Canon 50mm F/1.2 L lens makes me wish this lens was an F/1.2). Even if you’re not one to shoot shallow, my rule of thumb is to always invest in lenses with a lower aperture number, so you have the option to shoot at all ranges.

The bokeh produced by this model is right on par with Sony’s unique look to out of focus areas. This is thanks to the unique lens build. To start, the XA element in the glass is developed using an exclusive glass molding process which makes it smoother than conventional aspherical lenses. Conventional lenses are rougher, which can cause rings to appear on your shallow depth of field (a pain to Photoshop out, though Gaussian Blur can do the trick if you mask it right). Secondly, Sony’s camera system aids in creating effortless-looking subject isolation. Third and final, the 11 circular aperture blades inside of the lens create a circular bokeh that maintains its shape no matter what.

Image courtesy of Sony

I find the depth of field (DOF) looks more dreamy and a bit artificial from other similar lenses, but it has an authenticity and liveliness to it. The shallow DOF has a subtle, calmer rotation that creates a very natural look to the images (or in the least, as natural as this shallow of a field can be).

Pair that with the fact that this lens has a focal length of 135mm and you have some great subject separation. There is a typically unmentioned benefit to telephotos used for portraits. Because of the length of this lens, there is a nice separation of subject from the background and foreground. This happens because of the compression inside the lens.

Flare resistance

As someone who photographs live concerts often, I find that flare resistance is an important factor in deciding whether to purchase a lens or not. Although some prefer the stylistic look, many of my music clients don’t want an image that is heavily washed out by colored light and lacks contrast. Flare resistance tends to stem from the glass coating of lenses, and some are better resistant than others.

9 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

Lucky for all of us, Sony’s patented Nano AR Coating is applied to reduce flare. Most of the time you can just shoot directly into the sun and you will neither have problems with a huge loss of contrast nor ghosting. This is brilliant for natural light photographers, especially during the beloved golden hour.

As previously mentioned, my primary experience with this lens was at the WPPI convention. Despite the lighting conditions being very difficult in the convention center, this lens outperformed many of the other lenses that I had tested on the same week- notably the flare resistance and overall quality. There was no real issue with the glaring back lights on any subject I had photographed.

Chromatic aberration

Chromatic aberration, also known as ‘color fringing’ or ‘purple fringing,’ is a common optical problem that occurs when a lens is either unable to bring all wavelengths of color to the same focal plane, or when wavelengths of color are focused at different positions in the focal plane. This issue plagues fast lenses the most, as the shallow depth of field tends to bring the optical problem forth. With this lens being an F/1.8, many are concerned about fringing issues in backlit portraits (when the light source is behind the subject).

10 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

Sony’s Super ED element reduces chromatic aberration. Some aberration does exist – it isn’t foolproof – but luckily this issue tends only to affect the off-center portions of the frame. They are very minor in comparison to similar lenses and is easy to remove in post-processing programs such as Lightroom or Photoshop.

In comparison to my other Sony lenses, this one has the least chromatic aberration (as I found my 85mm was plagued with it, unfortunately). However, the Canon L lenses I have seem to have significantly less chromatic aberration all around.

Pros and Cons of the Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens

11 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

Pros:

Wide aperture at F/1.8.
Professional lens build.
Lighter than most alternatives.
Very accurate autofocus, especially paired with the mirrorless autofocus system.
Sharp throughout the entire frame, not just the center.
Silent autofocus due to the XD linear motor.
Convenient features physically built into the lens, such as the aperture ring, an aperture ring silencer, the focus range limiter switch, custom focus hold buttons, and an AF to MF finger switch.
Weather sealing and dust resistance.
Flaring and ghosting resistance Sony Nano AR coating on the glass.
Reduced chromatic aberration due to Super ED element.

Cons:

Pricey investment.
The lens is quite wide in physical build. Understandable for the wide aperture.

Conclusion

This lens is a bit of a hefty financial investment, clocking in at about $ 1,900. However, considering the build quality, features, and incredible final output, I’d consider the value of this lens to be worth its asking price. I am also predicting that the lens will not depreciate much overtime.

12 - Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review

In conclusion, this lens is a stunner in its own right. For those that find a use for the 135mm (like myself), I’d go as far as to say this may be a must-have on the mirrorless list.

We had a fun jest at the WPPI show stating that you can just purchase the 24mm G-Master, 85mm G-Master, and this 135mm G-Master lens and that’s all you need for your kit! Arguably the absolute sharpest lens in the lineup, the 135mm is worth every penny for the immense amount of features included in this great lens.

The post Sony FE 135mm F/1.8 GM Lens Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

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Roger Cicala tests new Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM, confirms ‘insanely good’ MTF results

12 Mar

Roger Cicala is a hard man to impress. His team tests a lot of lenses, but the new Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM is a cut above the rest. Literally, all the rest. Roger’s verdict? ‘This is the sharpest lens we’ve tested. Period’.

We already knew that the FE 135mm F1.8 GM was good, but the MTF results are quite spectacular. In Roger’s words, ‘curves higher than anything I’d ever seen in a normal-range lens’. Compare the Sony’s performance at F1.8 to the Zeiss Batis 135mm F2.8, below. Even if you’re not familiar with MTF curves (in brief – the center of this graph shows resolution at the center of an image, the extreme right and extreme left represent corner sharpness, and higher lines are better), it’s clear that the Sony outperforms the Zeiss in the center and compares well towards the edges, even wide open.

And this isn’t just a standout outlier sample hand-picked by Sony to give the best results – these graphs are created from data averaged from ten copies of the lens.

The 135mm F1.8 was so sharp, in fact, that just for fun Roger ran tests at 100 lp/mm as well as the usual 50 lp/mm, which – again – showed that Sony’s latest lens should perform brilliantly for several generations of even higher-resolution full-frame cameras to come.

Read Roger’s full article on the Lensrentals blog

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Hands-on with the Sony 135mm F1.8 GM

28 Feb

A relatively lightweight lens for portraiture, weddings, sports

Sony has just announced the FE 135mm F1.8 G Master (GM) lens, its 9th GM lens and 31st native full-frame E-mount lens. According to Sony, the GM line promises both ‘high resolution and exquisite bokeh’, and our initial impressions after shooting with the lens are certainly positive.

Sony tells us the design of this lens is new, and entirely different from the A-mount Sonnar 135mm F1.8 ZA lens. At 950g (2.1lb), it’s 280g (0.62lb) lighter than the Sigma Art 135mm F1.8 lens, which – at 1230g (2.7lb) – weighs 30% more than the Sony. That’s a significant weight difference, and the 135mm GM balances reasonably well on an a9 or Mark III Alpha-series full-frame body.

The relatively lightweight and portable nature of the lens will be appreciated by its target audience: portrait, wedding, and sports shooters looking for subject isolation and fast autofocus performance.

Optical design ensures smooth bokeh, minimal aberrations

Comprised of 13 elements in 10 groups, the Sony FE 135mm GM features an XA (extreme aspheric) element, an ED (extra-low dispersion) and Super ED element. The Super ED and ED glass used in the front element groups replace traditional large and heavy negative elements commonly used to suppress longitudinal spherical aberration, which is most often seen as purple and green fringing in front of and behind the focus plane, respectively. Sony claims this combination of a Super ED and ED element ‘compensate for axial CA, minimize color fringing and maximize overall resolution.’

Onion-ring bokeh is non-existent

Meanwhile, the large XA element mitigates spherical aberration, and helps maximize sharpness. Sony’s 10 nanometer mold precision and other recent improvements ensure that onion-ring bokeh is non-existent. In addition, each XA element produced is individually inspected to ensure smooth bokeh and an 11-blade circular aperture ensures circular out-of-focus highlights even at F4 and beyond.

Flare resistance and ergonomics

Sony’s Nano anti-reflective coating is used to reduce flare and ghosting, which can be particularly problematic when shooting backlit portraits. A fluorine front element repels fingerprints and water.

There’s an aperture ring with 1/3EV increments, as well as two custom ‘Focus Hold’ buttons that can be assigned to any one custom function (they can’t be assigned to different functions). The locations make them convenient to access with your thumb in either landscape or portrait shooting orientation. An AF/MF switch makes quick work of choosing between auto and manual focus.

Fast to focus

The 135mm GM has a close minimum focus distance of 0.7m (2.3ft), offering 0.25x magnification. A focus limiter switch allows you to optimize focus for your shooting situation such that if you’re shooting mostly distant subjects, you can ensure the lens never hunts to a nearby distance. You can also choose a range from minimum focus distance to 2m (6.6 ft) if you’re only shooting close-up portraiture. With the right setting, you’ll almost never experience hunting to extremes, which can otherwise slow down shooting on such a shallow depth-of-field prime.

Two focus groups can move independently of one another in a ‘floating’ design for fast, accurate autofocus

Speaking of focus, four XD (‘extreme dynamic’) linear induction motors replace the previous piezoelectric design of Sony’s ‘Direct Drive SSM’ system. These motors are capable of moving larger, heavier elements, and it’s Sony’s first lens to feature four of them driving two focus groups. The two groups – one in the front and one in the rear – can move independently of one another in a ‘floating’ design, yielding fast, accurate and quiet autofocus (and we can confirm that in our experience, it’s the fastest focusing lens of its type). A new control algorithm helps ‘maximize control response and ensure quiet, low-vibration AF’ – we assume this is at least in part related to the lens’ ability to receive and execute instructions at the high rates the a9 is capable of (60 instructions / second).

Features video shooters will love

The dedicated aperture ring is ‘de-clickable’, making smooth changes to depth-of-field in video possible. The focus ring offers a linear response in manual focus mode, making focus pulls easy during video shooting. The linear response will also be appreciated by stills shooters accustomed to the focus response of traditional DSLR lenses.

Magnesium alloy chassis, dust and moisture resistant

Sony claims the 135mm GM lens has a similar kind of internal construction as on the FE 400mm F2.8 GM lens. It has a magnesium-alloy chassis, and Sony claims dust and moisture resistance. A rubber gasket around the mount helps keep water from entering your camera internals.

The FE 135mm F1.8 GM will ship in late April for $ 1900 USD / $ 2600 CAD. If you haven’t already, you can view our sample gallery here to get a better idea of what this lens is capable of.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM sample gallery

27 Feb

Sony’s announced the ninth addition to the G Master lens series in the FE 135mm F1.8 GM. This fast telephoto is well versed for a variety of disciplines, from portraiture to low light sports photography. Prior to launch, we had the chance to take it for a spin at both a Sony shooting event, as well as on our own. Our initial takeaway is the lens is very sharp with high contrast even wide-open, fast-to-focus and capable of pleasing bokeh. Longitudinal chromatic aberration, which shows up purple and green fringing in front of and behind the focus plane, respectively, is largely absent.

That’s some serious optical performance combined with autofocus speeds we’ve never seen from such a fast telephoto prime, which is what allowed us to shoot fast action with a high focus hit-rate. That’s in thanks to not just the four new ‘XD’ (extreme dynamic) linear induction motors driving two separate focus groups, but also the new ‘Real-time tracking’ mode on the new a9 with the new 5.0 firmware. Have a look!

See our Sony 135mm F1.8 GM gallery

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Sony announces FE 135mm F1.8 G Master lens

26 Feb

Sony has announced its FE 135mm F1.8 G Master telephoto prime lens. Sony says that this (relatively) lightweight and portable lens is well-suited for portrait, wedding and sports photographers.

The 135mm F1.8 has 13 elements in total, which include XA (extreme aspherical), Super ED and ED. The XA and Super ED elements in the front group replace traditional large and heavy negative elements to ‘effectively suppress all common telephoto lens aberrations,’ according to Sony. Sony claims that the combination of a Super ED and ED element ‘compensate for axial CA, minimize color fringing and maximize overall resolution,’ while the large XA elements mitigate spherical aberration.

Producing large XA elements that don’t negatively affect bokeh is difficult, but Sony claims its 10nm mold precision and other improvements ensure that onion ring bokeh is non-existent. Furthermore, each lens is individually inspected for smooth bokeh. An 11-blade aperture ensures circular out-of-focus highlights even at F4 and beyond. Sony’s Nano AR coating is used to reduce flare and ghosting, while a fluorine element repels fingerprints and water.

There are four XD linear motors on the lens – two for each of the focus groups – that promise responsive, accurate and quiet focusing. Sony states this is its first lens to offer two direct-drive SSM motors to move two separate XA elements for fast focus. Moving large XA elements was only possible by switching from piezoelectric actuation to linear induction motors. The 135mm F1.8 is weather-sealed and features an aperture ring, focus ring with linear response (important for videographers), two customizable focus hold buttons and a focus range limiter with three settings. The latter allows you to fine tune the lens for your shooting situation and is particularly important given the lens’ close focus distance. If you are shooting distant subjects, limiting focus allows for nearly instantaneous focus without the risk of hunting to extremely nearby distances.

The FE 135mm F1.8 GM will ship in late April for $ 1900. Click on any of the images below to launch our sample gallery from our brief time with the lens at a local shooting event.

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Press Release

Sony Electronics Inc. Announces New Full-frame 135mm F1.8 G Master™ Prime Lens with Stunning Resolution and Bokeh, Excellent AF Performance

SAN DIEGO — Feb. 26, 2019 — Sony Electronics Inc today introduced a highly anticipated addition to their acclaimed G Master series of full-frame E-mount interchangeable lenses – a 135mm F1.8 full-frame, large-aperture telephoto prime lens (model SEL135F18GM).

Equipped with Sony’s most advanced optical technologies, the new lens is built to meet the extremely high standards of Sony’s G Master series. The new FE 135mm F1.8 GM offers exceptionally high resolution and exquisite bokeh, two qualities that are signature attributes of Sony’s flagship G Master brand. The new lens combines rapid autofocus (AF) acquisition with a lightweight, portable design and a variety of professional functions, making it a versatile, high-performance tool for professional portrait photographers, wedding photographers, sports photographers and a wide variety of imaging enthusiasts.

“Sony’s commitment to growing our lens lineup remains stronger than ever,” said Neal Manowitz, vice president of imaging solutions at Sony Electronics. “Our 31^st native full-frame FE lens and 49^th overall E-mount lens, the highly anticipated 135mm prime brings the acclaimed G Master quality to another popular focal length for both professionals and enthusiasts to enjoy. We will continue to drive market-leading innovation in all aspects of our imaging business, giving our customers the opportunity to capture and create like they never have before.”

Realizing consistently high resolution across the entire frame, even at F1.8, the FE 135mm F1.8 GM boasts an innovative optical design that places XA (extreme aspherical) and Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements in the front group to effectively suppress all common telephoto lens aberrations. Additionally, the Super ED element plus one ED glass element are strategically positioned to compensate for axial chromatic aberration, minimize color fringing and maximize overall resolution, ensuring outstanding image quality. For impressive clarity, Sony’s unique Nano AR Coating is applied to reduce flare and ghosting that can occur when shooting backlit portraits.

The new telephoto prime lens utilizes its XA element, refined with Sony’s latest bokeh simulation technologies during the design and manufacturing stages, to control spherical aberration and achieve exquisite bokeh. In addition, an 11-bladed circular aperture mechanism contributes towards achieving extremely natural and beautiful background defocus. The exciting new model also features dual-autofocus groups in a floating focus arrangement for improved close-up capability, allowing a minimum focus distance of just 0.7 meters and a maximum magnification of 0.25x.

To ensure that this lens can keep up with fast-moving portrait or sports subjects, the FE 135mm F1.8 GM has been equipped with a total of four of Sony’s proprietary XD linear motors—two for each group—that achieve rapid, reliable and speedy AF tracking and performance. There is also a control algorithm that helps to maximize control response and ensure quiet, low-vibration AF. All of this exceptional performance is packaged in a compact, lightweight body weighing in at 33.6 oz.

The FE 135mm F1.8 GM includes a number of professional controls that enhance ease of operation for both stills and movie shooting. These include an aperture ring that allows direct, intuitive aperture control and a focus ring that features Linear Response MF for fine, responsive manual focus control. There is also a focus range limiter switch, two customizable focus hold buttons, and a focus-mode switch that makes it possible to quickly select auto or manual focus to match changing shooting conditions.

New Circular Polarizing Filters

In addition to the new FE 135mm F1.8 GM Lens, Sony has also announced a new lineup of Circular Polarizing Filters. The new filters, including models for lens diameters 49mm, 55mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm, preserve image quality and resolution about twice[i] as effectively as Sony’s existing circular PL filter lineup, making them a perfect partner for Sony’s flagship G Master series lens. They also feature a ZEISS® T* Coating to minimize flare and a slim filter design to prevent image vignetting and maximize overall performance.

Pricing and Availability

The FE 135mm F1.8 GM will ship in late April 2019 for approximately $ 1,900 US and $ 2,600 CA. The lens will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America.

The new circular polarizer filters will ship in May 2019, with approximate pricing outlined below:

49mm (model VF49CPAM2) – $ 100 US / $ 130 CA
55mm (model VF55CPAM2) – $ 110 US / $ 150 CA
62mm (model VF62CPAM2) – $ 140 US / $ 190 CA
67mm (model VF67CPAM2) – $ 155 US / $ 200 CA
72mm (model VF72CPAM2) – $ 165 US / $ 220 CA
77mm (model VF77CPAM2) – $ 180 US / $ 240 CA
82mm (model VF82CPAM2) – $ 230 US / $ 300 CA

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new lens and Sony ‘s Alpha products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony’s Alpha brand.

The new content will also be posted directly at the Sony Photo Gallery and the Sony Camera Channel on YouTube. Detailed information pages within Sony.com for the new lens can be found at:

SEL135F18GM (US)
SEL135F18GM (CA)

[i] Depends on model and focal length of lens attached

Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	35mm FF
Focal length	135 mm
Image stabilization	No
Lens mount	Sony FE
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F1.8
Minimum aperture	F22
Aperture ring	Yes
Number of diaphragm blades	11
Optics
Elements	13
Groups	10
Special elements / coatings	XD, Super ED and ED elements; Nano AR and fluorine coatings
Focus
Minimum focus	0.70 m (27.56″)
Maximum magnification	0.25×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Linear Motor
Full time manual	Yes
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	No
DoF scale	No
Focus distance limiter	Yes
Physical
Weight	950 g (2.09 lb)
Materials	Magnesium alloy
Sealing	Yes
Filter thread	82 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Tripod collar	No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sigma 14mm F1.8, 135mm F1.8, and 70mm F2.8 macro Art lenses for Sony E-Mount now shipping

10 Aug

Sigma is now shipping the 14mm F1.8 DG HSM, 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO, and 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art lenses for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras that were announced in February. All three lenses support Sony’s Continuous AF and high-speed autofocus, as well as in-camera lens aberration correction and image stabilization.

According to Sigma, the brass bayonet on each lens features special surface treatment designed to improve the mount strength. The mount is joined by a rubber seal to protect against splashes and dust. In addition, Sigma says its E-mount models include a newly developed control algorithm that both maximizes data transmission speeds and optimizes the autofocus drive.

All three E-mount lenses are available from retailers now at the following prices:

14mm F1.8 DG HSM: $ 1599 USD
70mm F2.8 DG MACRO: $ 569 USD
135mm F1.8 DG HSM: $ 1399 USD

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Why you should own a 135mm F2 lens

03 Jan

Image quality, weight and value for money. We have come to accept that most lenses are strong in only one or two of these three factors, that I personally focus on when researching lenses to buy. Sometimes though, we stumble upon a great lens design which is strong in all three. One of the prime examples of such a design is the “nifty fifty”—the 50mm F1.8 lens construction that many lens manufacturers provide. Another example is the 100mm (or sometimes 90mm) F2.8 macro lens. If you buy a nifty fifty or a 100mm macro lens you simply cannot go wrong—you will get a great and handy lens for your money, with great image quality.

Today I want to talk about another such lens design: The 135mm F2 lens. I use the word design, because although the available 135mm F2 lenses aren’t the exact same optical formula, they share many important traits. Perhaps you have seen the photos of masterful Russian portrait photographers such as Elena Shumilova or Anka Zhuravleva. They create a beautiful, mesmerizing dreamscape in their photos, and their secret weapon, besides an impeccable sense for aesthetics, is the 135mm F2 lens.

The moment I tried the Samyang 135mm F2 for the first time after purchasing it, I immediately felt that it was a very special lens. I took a few shots with the lens on my way home after buying it. I was blown away when I loaded the photos into my computer. I had of course heard that this lens is supposed to be very sharp, but I had never before had such a full blown “wow” experience when reviewing the sharpness of a lens.

The flawless image quality is only half the story though. Another thing that makes people go “wow” over the 135mm F2 lens design is the bokeh, which can be so creamy that distant backgrounds almost render as gradients. The 135mm F2 lens design is truly special, and in this article (and the video I made), I want to try to convince you as well.

Subject Separation

There are only a handful of foolproof strategies for making a great photograph. One of them is simplicity: A clear, simple subject that constitutes a shape, standing out and contrasting against a calm and simple background.

When you shoot a 135mm F2 lens at F2, your subject will stand out in this beautiful way, often without much work needed from you as the photographer. Just place your subject against a distant background, and half of the job is done. Even if the background is very close to your subject, somehow the optical construction in the 135mm lens will still manage to separate the background beautifully.

The Creamiest Bokeh

To achieve creamy bokeh, a lens should have a wide maximum aperture and a long focal length. One very popular lens for bokeh fiends is the Canon 85mm F1.2—it can produce extremely creamy out of focus backgrounds. But I would argue that a 135mm F2 lens produces even greater bokeh, thanks to the long focal length that compresses the background far more than the 85mm lens.

You would be hard pressed to find any other lens on a full frame camera that produces creamier bokeh. There are, of course, outliers—such as the legendary unicorn lens Canon EF 200mm F2—but that one isn’t a great alternative unless you are cool with spending $ 5,700 and carrying around something about as wieldy as a fire hydrant.

Unreal Sharpness

When I was on my way home after purchasing my first 135mm lens (the Samyang/Rokinon one) I took a few quick snapshots just to try out the lens. The first shot I ever took with this lens was of my neighbor’s cat, as it was sneaking around in a bush. When I got home and loaded the photo into Lightroom I was blown away by two things.

First of all, the background separation and the bokeh: I had photographed lots of animals in bushes before, but never before had I seen the bush melt away in the way it did with the 135mm lens.

Second of all, the incredible sharpness of the photo: I have owned many lenses, most of which I bought because they were supposed to have world-class sharpness, but the Samyang 135mm still stands out to me.

Never before (nor after) have I seen a lens with this level of sharpness wide open. Perhaps this impression of unreal sharpness is strengthened by the contrast to the extremely creamy bokeh you typically get in the same photo.

Close Focus Ability

Most of the available 135mm F2 lenses have a very short minimum focusing distance in relation to the focal length, creating a magnification ratio of around 0.2 – 0.25. This is great news if you like to photograph small things up close. These lenses go about as close as you could get without a dedicated macro lens.

Low Weight

Lenses with extreme sharpness and bokeh tend to be heavy. For example, the legendary Canon 85mm F1.2L weighs in at 1025g, and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art isn’t too light either at 1130g.

Sure, not all 135mm lenses are lightweight—Sigma’s new 135mm F1.8 is rather heavy at 1130g—but if you look at the Samyang 135mm F2, which is pretty much flawless optically, it weighs only 830g. And if you want autofocus, I would recommend the Canon 135mm f2.0L, which is incredibly light for its performance at just 750g.

Extreme value for the money

While there are certainly pricey 135mm F2 lenses out there (such as the aforementioned Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art, or the Carl Zeiss 135mm) there are a couple that give you extreme value for the money. When you buy a lens with fantastic sharpness and image quality at all apertures, you typically expect it to cost $ 1,200 on up. But like a glitch in the matrix, an anomaly that shouldn’t exist, you can get the Samyang/Rokinon 135mm for as little as $ 430 brand new. The only downside with that lens is that it is manual focus, which might not be suitable for photographing sports or children. Otherwise this lens is absolutely incredible.

If you want autofocus and great value for money, buy the Canon 135mm, as it has almost the image quality of the Samyang, and you can get it for under $ 1,000 new. The Canon is about as sharp as the Samyang, but it has some very slight chromatic aberration. I would recommend buying it used if you want to save some money, with the added benefit that you can re-sell it at the same price as you bought it for, effectively giving you the opportunity to “rent it” for free.

Which One to Buy?

If you want the best value possible for your money, and can survive without autofocus, buy the Samyang. If you must have autofocus, and care about weight, buy the Canon. If you want the best possible image quality, and you must have autofocus, and you don’t care if it is a bit heavy (maybe you need it for studio use), buy the Sigma. Include the Carl Zeiss in your research though, it might be an interesting lens for you, even if it is a bit pricey for what you get. If you are a Nikon user, of course have a look at the Nikon AF Nikkor 135mm f/2D DC and compare it to the other lenses mentioned in this article.

Whatever lens you pick in the end, you will make a great purchase. All of them are extremely sharp and produce mouth-watering bokeh, and all of them are reasonably priced for what you get. I have only owned my 135mm for less then a year, but already it is one of my top three most used and most fun lenses.

Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px.

This article was originally published on Micael’s blog, and is being republished in full with express permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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