Recently, we learned that Sony’s ‘SLT’ digital SLRs were no longer available for purchase in some territories, probably marking the end of the A-mount originally developed by Minolta. In this episode of DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan fondly look back at the A-mount.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sony first announced its official entry into the drone sector early this year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Though there still aren’t solid details on a release date or pricing for its Airpeak drone, the company recently unveiled some stunning wide-angle footage captured over Okinawa, Japan’s, remote island called Irimote. Besides the scenery, the video also showcases the Airpeak drone in action carrying both Sony’s a7S III and FX3 cameras.
What’s revealed, as well, is how the drone is able to carry a payload that includes their new 14mm F1.8 GM lens. Although rather large in size for a drone, Sony claims that the Airpeak is the smallest model available that is able to carry its Alpha line of cameras. For comparison’s sake, Freefly Systems has been working on its Astro drone, which is compatible with Sony’s a7R IV camera, but hasn’t been released yet.
One issue pointed out about the Airpeak is that it is a quadcopter. For comparison’s sake, DJI’s Matrice 600 is a hexacopter. If one rotor fails on the Matrice 600, the drone will still remain airborne. That’s not the case with a quadcopter, and Sony camera’s aren’t exactly cheap. We can also see from the latest video that two batteries are needed to power the drone. This is a typical failsafe, also found in DJI’s Inspire 2, should one battery fail during flight.
Much like a drone of its class, the Airpeak also has an additional front-facing pilot’s camera as well as obstacle avoidance sensors on the front and back of the aircraft. There aren’t any sideways sensors but unlike a DJI Phantom or Mavic series drone, which is constrained by a 3-axis gimbal that only tilts up and down, the AirPeak doesn’t need those additional sensors since it only needs to fly forwards or backwards since the camera can also rotate from side to side.
It also looks as though Sony hasn’t created a gimbal for the Airpeak yet. Instead, the Gremsy T3V3 3-axis camera stabilizer is attached. It is unclear whether or not Sony will develop their own gimbal. The remote is clearly made by Sony, since the branding is there, and a tablet is attached – suggesting, for now, that a built-in screen won’t be available.
The software being used to power the drone is built on Mapbox, which also powers self-driving cars. What this means is that Airpeak users will be able to pre-plan flights.
This isn’t the first teaser video Sony has released for its Airpeak drone. Sony also introduced a VISION-S concept car at CES. The Airpeak was featured in the video, above, where you can see its landing gear extensions retract upward, after takeoff, to give a fuller field of view for the camera. Wind resistance is another pain point for drone users. Sony recently created a wind tunnel to illustrate how well the Airpeak handles gusts up to 45 mph.
As mentioned above, a definitive release date and price point has yet to be announced. Sony is still looking for professional drone videographers and photographers, its target audience, to test out the Airpeak. You must be located in the United States or Japan to participate at this time.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post The Sony a6900 Will Debut Before the Month Is Out: Here’s What We Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
For weeks, SonyAlphaRumors has been dropping information regarding the so-called Sony a6900, which will debut in “late May” as an a6600 successor.
While the “a6900” moniker is not yet confirmed, a “trusted” SonyAlphaRumors source has said that the new camera “will not be named ‘a6700,’” with another SAR source offering the a6900 label.
So what do we know about this new a6900?
SonyAlphaRumors confidently states that the a6900 will replace the a6600, but will feature an APS-C sensor and a body similar to the full-frame a7C. It will “be branded as [a] ‘vlogger’ camera,” which suggests several blogging-friendly specs: a fully articulating screen, for one, but also impressive video capabilities (at least 4K/30p plus mic/headphone jacks) and a compact design.
Indeed, various rumors suggest that the a6900 will feature 4K/60p video, a notable upgrade over the 4K/30p offered by the a6600. Interestingly, rumors also point to a new high-resolution sensor – several SonyAlphaRumors sources have suggested 32 MP – in a surprising break from Sony’s string of 24 MP APS-C models.
Here are additional specs suggested by (unconfirmed) SAR sources:
Most of these items seem pretty standard and don’t offer any major improvements over the a6600. The exception is the 20 fps continuous shooting rate, and I’ll admit that I’m skeptical; after all, it’s a feature matched only by Sony’s highest-level full-frame models and is wholly unnecessary for vloggers.
Of course, you can also expect Sony’s standard autofocusing capabilities, including its vaunted Real-time Eye AF, plus outstanding subject tracking and generally speedy focusing, all of which will appeal to vloggers and still shooters alike.
So be sure to keep an eye out for further Sony a6900 news, especially if you’re interested in a compact, vlogging-focused camera; we should get an official release before the month is out.
Now over to you:
What do you think of the Sony a6900? If the rumored specifications are right, would you be interested? Are there any key features that the camera is missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post The Sony a6900 Will Debut Before the Month Is Out: Here’s What We Know appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The annual Sony World Photography Awards is one of the world’s most reputable competitions for creatives. DPReview makes it a point to cover every announcement. Over the course of the past year, over 330,000 images were submitted to its myriad of contests covering contemporary events and issues. A documentary, produced by Chocolate Films, showcasing the winning images, as well as the stories behind them, was recently released.
Hosted by British stand-up comedian and art historian Jacky Klein, who curiously stated that submissions came in from over 200 countries (she possibly meant territories as well), A Year in Photos from Sony World Photography Awards 2021 features imagery, behind-the-scenes takes, and interviews from some of the award-winning photographers. Some of the jurors also share what they love about a particular photographer’s style the most.
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| Winning imagery addresses how some people believe the novel Coronavirus was a conspiracy. |
Naturally, a good deal of imagery discussed in the hour-long film cover the impact of climate change and the pandemic. As winning photographer Coenraad Heinz Torlage stated early on in the film, ‘I think photography is a powerful medium to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves.’ A Year in Photos from Sony World Photography Awards 2021 can be viewed in its entirety above or here.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Tamron Announces the 150-500mm, a Portable Zoom for Sony Mirrorless appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Earlier this week, Tamron unveiled the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD for Sony E-mount cameras, a lens that will offer significant power, versatility, and affordability to Sony users.
The 150-500mm f/5-6.7 is Tamron’s “first ultra-telephoto zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras that reaches the 500mm focal length.” But despite the super-telephoto range, the 150-500mm is surprisingly compact. At 500mm, the lens reaches 11.1 in (28 cm), and when retracted to 150mm, it clocks in at a portable 8.3 in (21 cm) for a travel-ready package.
While the f/6.7 maximum aperture may frustrate professionals, enthusiast sports, wildlife, and bird photographers will love the opportunity to get up close and personal without splurging on Sony’s $ 2000 USD 200-600mm lens. At 150mm to 300mm, you can capture wider photos of your subject; zoomed in to 400mm and 500mm, you can grab crisp detail shots and wildlife portraits.
And though the Tamron 150-500mm will work just fine on Sony full-frame cameras, when mounted on an APS-C camera – such as the Sony a6600 – the lens delivers a whopping 225-750mm range, perfect for photographers seeking to shoot small, skittish subjects such as birds.
Of course, image quality remains to be seen, but Tamron confidently claims that the 150-500mm packs “amazing high image quality,” boasting “exceptionally high resolving power across the entire image.”
As for autofocus, the 150-500mm “provides high speed, high precision, and excellent quietness,” thanks to Tamron’s VXD focusing technology.
Sure, a wider maximum aperture would be useful, especially for low-light wildlife and sports photography. But wider apertures come with eye-watering costs, plus Tamron has added Vibration Compensation (VC), which ensures sharp images even when shooting handheld in limited light.
While the Tamron 150-500mm doesn’t come cheap, it’s not pricey, either (relatively speaking). You can preorder the lens for just $ 1399 USD, though expect to receive your copy after June 10th (also, Tamron notes that “the release date or product supply schedule could change” due to COVID-related problems).
So if you’re an enthusiast photographer in need of a super-telephoto zoom, I highly recommend you check out the Tamron 150-500mm.
Now over to you:
What do you think of this new lens from Tamron? Will you be interested in purchasing it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Tamron Announces the 150-500mm, a Portable Zoom for Sony Mirrorless appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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| One of our product photos of the original a7R IV. |
Sony has, rather quietly, released updated versions of its a7R III and a7R IV cameras that bring small improvements to the full-frame mirrorless cameras. The updated cameras now have an ‘a’ appended to their model numbers to differentiate them from their original predecessors.
According to the update product specifications, both the a7R III (model: ILCE-7RM3A) and a7R IV (model: ILCE-7RM4A) have improved rear LCD panels, up to 2.36 million dots compared to the 1.44 million dots in the original models. Sony notes in the the battery life of the updated cameras has dropped slightly (10 shots) when using the LCD panel. Also, based on the product photos on Sony’s website, the a7R IV (model: ILCE-7RM4A) no longer has the Sony logo under the LCD monitor. Aside from those details, it’s not clear what else, if anything, has changed.
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| Note the ‘Sony’ underneath the LCD panel on this product image of the original a7R IV. | Note The lack of the ‘Sony’ logo under the LCD panel of the newly-updated a7R IV ‘a’ |
Sony’s updated product pages don’t show whether or not the price has changed and, as of publication, Sony’s site isn’t linking out to any retailers with the new models in stock. Neither Adorama or B&H Photo have the new models listed as of publication. This, combined with the fact Sony hasn’t actually changed the more general name of the cameras will likely lead to some confusion for buyers, so you might want to hold off if you’re hoping to get one of these updated cameras until more information is available.
We have contacted Sony for more details and will update this article accordingly when we receive a response.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Last week, Sony announced three E-mount lenses:
The FE 24mm f/2.8 G, the FE 40mm f/2.5 G, and the FE 50mm f/2.5 G; all promise to deliver excellent optics in a compact form.
The three lenses will launch this May. Designed as a set, they offer a beautifully wide field of view on the 24mm end for scenic shots and environmental portraits, plus a standard perspective at the 40mm and 50mm focal lengths, perfect for portraits, street photography, and even detail shots.
Sony explains, “The lenses were designed for a wide range of photo and video uses including portraiture, landscape, street photography, and more…With these three dynamic lenses, our customers can capture a wide range of perspectives with the excellent resolution and beautiful bokeh that Sony’s G lenses are known for.”
And while we can’t currently confirm the resolution of these lenses with a hands-on review of our own, sample images look very nice, and Sony’s own tests show tack-sharp results especially when stopped down to f/8. If you’re an APS-C shooter who demands the highest optical quality, or you’re working full frame and want some compact-yet-capable prime lenses, the 24mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5, and 50mm f/2.5 will deliver.
Plus, all three lenses offer fast maximum apertures, which translates to lovely bokeh – especially on the 50mm f/2.5, but also on the 40mm f/2.5 and even the 24mm f/2.8 when shooting close-ups.
Of course, f/2.5 and f/2.8 maximum apertures will get you more than just creamy backgrounds. With a wide aperture, you can shoot indoors or at twilight while still maintaining a reasonable ISO, so you can photograph events and night portraits – or record low-light video – and come away with clean results.
Sony also promises “fast, precise AF with excellent tracking performance” and top-notch build quality (all three lenses are dust and moisture resistant).
But while strong build quality, image quality, and focusing do make for a powerful package, even more impressive are the lenses’ compact builds. Travel photographers, street photographers, and videographers will love the pocket-sized design, perfect for on-the-go shooting, long hours behind the camera, and international travel. In fact, all three lenses are identical in size, so you can pack them all without sacrificing weight or space. Check out the lenses next to one another:
And the prices are surprisingly reasonable. You can grab each lens for just $ 600 USD – not bad at all, given the optics, build quality, and AF capabilities.
So if you’re a Sony shooter in need of a new lens (or two, or three) for travel photography, portrait photography, street photography, or handheld videography, I highly recommend you take a closer look at these options. You can currently preorder the 40mm f/2.5 G here, the 50mm f/2.5 G here, and the 24mm f/2.8 G here.
Now over to you:
What do you think of Sony’s new bundle of prime lenses? Are you impressed? Are there any features that you wish Sony would’ve included? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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Sony Electronics recently announced updates to its Visual Story, a cloud-based mobile application that works with various models of cameras the company produces. Built with event photographers in mind, ‘Visual Story’ Version 1.1 uses AI (artificial intelligence) to instantly recognize scenes and objects. The app will continuously select what it deems the best images for real-time gallery creation.
What this means, for these socially-distanced times, is that friends, family and colleagues can view the highlights of a wedding, conference or sporting match, while it’s happening, in the comfort of their own homes or offices. The ‘Live Gallery’ feature also applies presets to images as the photos upload, to maximize their visual appeal.
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A newly-added object detection filter allows the photographer and viewers to locate a specific photo containing, for example, a wedding cake, soccer ball or table. The audience can also ‘like’ specific photos. This can aid the photographer in curating images for a final gallery before it’s delivered to the client.
Photographers can also add their own logo plus links to their website and social media profiles to galleries for branding purposes, not to mention increased exposure to the audiences.
Visual Story allows you to access photos from any specific time during the event. Photos are stored to the cloud for backup as well. Photographers can also add their own logo plus links to their website and social media profiles to galleries for branding purposes, not to mention increased exposure to the audiences.
Currently available for free on iOS, Visual Story is compatible with the following Sony cameras: a7C, a7R IV, a7S III, a9, a9 II, a1, a7 III (with updated firmware) and FX3.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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It seems that every camera company is flexing its optical muscles these days to churn out F1.2 lenses. Sony, not one to be left behind, just released its first F1.2 prime, the FE 50mm F1.2 GM. One can’t help but ponder if Sony made this lens, at least in part, to dispel the myth that the smaller lens mount diameter – compared to its mirrorless peers – makes such fast lenses impossible (Sony claims F0.63 E-mount lenses can be made, but don’t make business sense).
Either way, while the Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA optic was impressive in its own right, offering a very flat field of focus and minimal aberrations, the 50mm F1.2 appears to exceed it in nearly every respect.
Click through for a closer look.
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The FE 50mm F1.2 GM is surprisingly compact and lightweight for what it offers. Next to the Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA, it’s nearly the same size and at 778g weighs exactly the same, despite offering half a stop more light gathering and shallow depth-of-field capability. Both lenses are exactly the same length: 108mm. The F1.2 GM has a slightly larger diameter, with the largest section of its barrel measuring 87mm compared to 83.5mm for the F1.4 ZA. This can be explained by the approximately 36% increase in surface area required for an F1.2 aperture compared to F1.4. Still, the filter diameter is a modest 72mm.
Mount each lens on a camera body, close your eyes, and you won’t be able to tell which lens is attached. Well, save for the nicer rubberized manual focus ring on the F1.2 GM.
The Sony optic is the smallest and lightest of its competitors, weighing 18% less than Canon’s RF 50mm F1.2 and 30% less (and 30% shorter) than Nikon’s 50mm F1.2 S.
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Despite its compact size, the 50mm F1.2 GM feels very well-built. Similar to other lenses in the GM-series, it’s rated as ‘dust and moisture resistant’, with seals around all buttons and rings. A rubber gasket around the mount should help protect against moisture and other elements entering the camera body. Sony says that hybrid metal and engineering plastic has been used for durability and to reduce the weight of the lens. Finally, a fluorine coating on the front element should make water, oils, fingerprints and dirt easy to clean off.
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The FE 50mm F1.2 GM lens offers a number of external controls. A focus mode switch allows you to quickly switch between auto and manual focus. Two focus hold buttons can be customized to any function available to all other custom buttons on the camera body. The manual focus ring has a nice rubberized texture that makes it easy to grasp and that also differentiates it from the aperture ring. The focus ring offers a linear focus response for intuitive focus pulls in video and stills…
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The aperture ring has a texture similar to the lens barrel but with ‘teeth’ to make it easy to grasp and turn. F-stops are marked in 1/3 EV steps. The aperture ring can be ‘clicked’ or ‘de-clicked’, with the latter setting making it easier to smoothly change the aperture if you wish to vary the depth-of-field while shooting video.
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The optical construction comprises 14 elements in 10 groups. Three extreme aspherical (XA) elements – shown here in orange – help minimize aberrations and reduce the overall size of the optics. These XA elements also play a role in maintaining high resolution across the frame at wide apertures.
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Enhanced surface precision of the molds used to create those XA elements in the last slide helps ensure smooth bokeh. Pictured at the top left in this image (courtesy of Sony) is a conventional aspherical lens surface, leading to an undesirable circle of confusion (top right). At the bottom left is a surface trace of one of Sony’s XA lens surfaces with 0.01µm surface precision, creating a clean circle of confusion (bottom right) and generally pleasing bokeh.
Sony claims that spherical aberration has been carefully controlled at the design and manufacturing stages for smooth foreground and background bokeh, and the comparative images Sony showed us against competitors were convincing, though we’ll reserve final judgement for after our own testing.
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An 11-bladed aperture ensures circular out-of-focus highlights even as you stop down. In the image above you can see perfectly circular discs even after stopping the lens down 1.7 stops, which would be difficult for a lens with 9 or 10 aperture blades to do. Though there are many other factors that contribute to pleasing bokeh, this should help the F1.2 GM pleasantly render out of focus lights and produce smoother, more Gaussian bokeh.
There’s some mechanical vignetting that leads to cat’s eye effect wide open as you can see on the left, but it mostly disappears as you stop down to F1.8 and is completely gone by F2, as you see on the right.
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MTF traces provided by Sony suggest impressive performance wide open (leftmost MTF graph), with over 90% contrast retained for higher resolution 30 lp/mm detail (green) at the center of the frame continuing out at least 6mm from the center of the imaging circle. Meanwhile, this 30 lp/mm trace, indicative of lens’ sharpness, never dips below 60% anywhere in the frame, typically hovering nearer to 70% at image peripheries.
The fact that the sagittal and tangential traces generally closely follow each other indicate that astigmatism is well-controlled, which suggests that bokeh should have a pleasing rendering, which bears out in our initial impressions.
A quick note on reading these graphs: sagittal or radial traces are solid while tangential traces are dotted. Orange traces are for 10 lp/mm detail, often indicative of lens’ contrast performance. The higher the traces, the better.
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What does sharpness at F1.2 look like in real-world shooting? Have a look at this image at 100%. Depth of field is razor thin at F1.2, but Sony’s Eye AF is generally accurate enough, and AF speeds with this lens are responsive enough, that hit rates are high. Which brings us to…
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Two independent floating focus groups allow for close focusing distances, and are driven by four ‘extreme dynamic’ linear motors (two per focus group). We’re told by Sony that these linear motors are very efficient at generating linear motion, as they don’t require any translation of rotational motion to linear motion, as ring-type and stepper motors do. The results speak for themselves, both in this demonstration video from Sony and in our own independent tests that confirm the 50mm F1.2 GM is the fastest-to-focus lens of its type. We measure only a mere 0.65s for the lens to rack from minimum focus distance (0.4m) to infinity, and 0.5s to rack from 0.7m – still a very close working distance for the 50mm focal length – to infinity.
In comparison, the tiny FE 35mm F1.8 optic takes a similar 0.5s to rack from its minimum focus distance to infinity, while the Nikkor 35mm F1.8 S takes a bit over 1s to do so. And those lenses are more than a stop slower.
The minimum focus distance of 0.4m (15.8″) yields a maximum magnification of 0.17x. Unfortunately, focus breathing, or a change in magnification with focus distance, is pretty significant and might be an issue for video shooters.
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When it comes to fast lenses of this type, longitudinal chromatic aberration, abbreviated simply as LoCA, is one of the major aberrations we tend to worry about, especially as it tends to be hard to remove in post-processing and can be distracting. It shows up typically as magenta and green fringing in front of and behind the focus plane, respectively, around high contrast objects in the image.
There is almost no such fringing to speak of with the FE 50mm F1.2 GM, not even after drastic contrast adjustments that would exaggerate any LoCA present in the image, as we have done above (+45 in Adobe Camera Raw).
Sony tells us the lack of this aberration is due in part to the XA elements, as well as the use of the latest advanced simulation technology.
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Sony’s ‘Nano AR (anti-reflective) II’ coating helps reduce flare as well as the appearance of distracting ‘ghosts’, both caused by reflections off of the internal elements. Nano AR II was developed specifically for application to large optical elements with highly curved surfaces, such as the XA elements increasingly found in Sony’s lenses.
The image above was shot by pointing the camera at the sun and angling it in such a way as to introduce as much flare and ghosting as possible. Results are impressive: there is very little loss of contrast, and the 2 or 3 visible ghosts (the purple and blue circles at upper right) aren’t too distracting or unsightly, instead appearing rather diffuse.
The 11-blade aperture produces 22-point sunstars with point light sources in the frame, if you stop the aperture down (pictured here is F11).
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As is the case with many modern, well corrected lenses, lateral chromatic aberration, which shows up as magenta and cyan or green fringing at image peripheries that does not improve significantly upon stopping down, isn’t much of an issue, particularly because it’s taken care of digitally. Above, the left half of the image is identical to the right half, except that it’s had any lateral CA removed using the included profile embedded in Sony Raw files (processed here in Capture One). Noticeable mostly at high contrast edges, lateral CA simply isn’t an issue after it’s been removed, either in your favorite Raw converter, or in-camera by selecting ‘Auto’ for ‘Chromatic Aberration Comp’ under the ‘Lens Comp’ option in the camera menu.
This particular example is a crop from an extreme corner of the frame, so even if you leave lateral CA uncorrected – which you shouldn’t – this level of aberration is nothing to concern yourself over.
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We don’t tend to worry about distortion on 50mm prime lenses, but we do find it interesting that there is a noticeable amount of pincushion distortion if you go looking for it by comparing uncorrected vs. corrected images. The left half of this image is corrected while the right half is not; note the slight inward bend of the right edge of the stone wall on the right compared to the straight edge on the left. And the magnification of the rectangular tiles on the left relative to those on right, particularly obvious if you look at the center of the image.
These artifacts are all due to distortion correction having been applied to the left half of the above image only. For whatever reason, Sony has chosen to leave some optical distortion behind in the optical formula for, albeit very easy, digital correction afterwards. It’s worth noting that, for now, Adobe Camera Raw allows for no such provision for distortion correction – not until Adobe has profiled this particular lens – while Capture One honors the built-in manufacturer distortion correction profile included in Raws shot with the 50mm F1.2 GM. This is one of the reasons we have chosen to include some Capture One conversions in our gallery of this lens.
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The FE 50mm F1.2 GM is Sony’s 60th E-mount lens, its 40th full-frame E-mount lens, introduced right around the 5th anniversary of the introduction of Sony’s first GM lenses. From our initial testing we’d venture to say the FE 50mm F1.2 GM is probably one of Sony’s sharpest, fastest to focus, and most aberration free primes
Expect to see it in the wild mid-May 2021, at an MSRP price of $ 1999 USD.
See our Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM Sample Gallery
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review: A Versatile Lens for a Great Price appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
In December 2020, Tamron announced an exciting new lens: the 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony.
The Tamron 17-70mm is small, lightweight, and designed for APS-C cameras – plus, it offers two excellent features often lacking on Tamron lenses.
But how does it function in the real world? And is it worth the $ 799 price tag?
Let’s find out in this hands-on Tamron 17-70mm for Sony review!
A 24-105mm lens offers one of the most popular focal length ranges available, thanks to its wide-to-telephoto reach. It’s a versatile pick used by casual and professional photographers alike.
And the 17-70mm is Tamron’s version of this lens because its focal length translates to 25.5-105mm on an APS-C body.
The Tamron 17-70mm is made for Sony APS-C (crop-sensor) cameras, so it’s ideal when combined with the popular Sony a6000 (or any of its recent variations). The lens can also be used on Sony full-frame cameras like the Sony a7S III – as long as the APS-C mode is selected.
The 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony is Tamron’s first fast-aperture zoom lens for APS-C cameras.
The lens maintains a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the entire zoom range, while other APS-C Tamron zooms use variable apertures (i.e., apertures that shift as you zoom).
A constant aperture, especially a fast f/2.8 aperture, makes the 17-70mm great for shooting in low light. And at f/2.8, you can capture shots with creamy bokeh, like this one here:
The 17-70mm also comes with Tamron’s image stabilization (Tamron calls this VC, or Vibration Compensation) to reduce camera shake.
Note that VC is often missing on Tamron lenses, especially those with constant apertures, so it’s certainly a welcome bonus on the 17-70mm.
Lenses with VC make it easier to shoot handheld photos and videos, especially at slow shutter speeds. That’s how I was able to pull off this handheld long exposure:
(Speaking of video: the 17-70 is a great video lens, thanks to the flexible zoom range, constant aperture, and inclusion of VC!)
If you’ve tried any recent Tamron lenses, the 17-70mm will look and feel very similar.
The lens is made mostly of plastic, which helps keep the weight down (it comes in at 1.2 lb/525 g), though you also get rubber zoom and focus rings.
The lens physically extends and retracts when the zoom ring is twisted. With dimensions of 2.9 x 4.7 in (74.6 x 119.3 mm), the lens can feel a bit large and off-balance when attached to a smaller camera like the Sony a6000. It definitely feels more balanced when used with a Sony full-frame camera.
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony is moisture resistant and also has a front element with a fluorine coating to protect it from smudging.
And speaking of the front element, the lens has a filter size of 67 mm, common among Tamron’s recent lenses.
I used the Tamron 17-70mm in outdoor hiking and indoor restaurant settings, and the autofocus worked well for photos and videos.
The lens has quiet focusing thanks to an RXD stepping motor. This works wonderfully with Sony mirrorless cameras, which still offer the best autofocus on the market.
It’s easy to switch to full manual focus simply by twisting the focus ring. Also, with a minimum focusing distance of 7.5 in (19 cm), the lens has decent macro capabilities (and close-up shots look great with that gorgeous f/2.8 bokeh).
Constant-aperture lenses tend to produce sharp, crisp images. You pay for it, though, because constant-aperture lenses – especially zoom lenses – don’t come cheap.
But while the Tamron 17-70mm is priced well under $ 1000, image quality is tack sharp across the entire focal length range, even at f/2.8. If Tamron can make more lenses like this at similar price points, they’ll win over many photographers and videographers.
At times, the 17-70mm does produce chromatic aberration and excessive vignetting, especially when shooting scenes with high contrast. Luckily, these are problems that can easily be solved in most photo editing programs, including Lightroom or Photoshop.
There are no true competitors to the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8, at least not at its price point. When looking at similar lenses, the price goes up dramatically – or you sacrifice certain features.
The closest Sony competitor is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 (24-82.5mm on APS-C cameras), which offers the constant f/2.8 aperture but is 15mm short on the telephoto side. The 16-55 also lacks image stabilization and will set you back $ 1,300.
The Sony E 18-105mm f/4 is a more affordable choice, coming in at around $ 600. This APS-C zoom lens offers a wider focal range than the Tamron plus image stabilization. However, the constant aperture is f/4, which is a lot slower than the Tamron’s f/2.8.
Considering the price and features of this lens, the Tamron 17-70mm is suitable for both professional photographers and videomakers alike, especially for those on a budget.
The lens’s features are typically found on glass that costs twice as much, including the constant f/2.8 aperture and the Vibration Compensation. It also offers remarkably sharp image quality considering its cost.
And given the relatively accessible price, the Tamron 17-70mm is also appropriate for beginner or amateur photographers and videomakers looking to increase their skills.
Using a constant f/2.8 aperture is a treat, and this lens will help budding photographers take better images in low light with nice, creamy bokeh.
So grab the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony right here!
Now over to you:
What do you think about the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8? What do you like about it? What do you dislike? Will you consider buying it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for Sony Review: A Versatile Lens for a Great Price appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
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