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CamFi wireless camera controller now supports Sony digital cameras

28 Feb

Wireless camera controller CamFi now supports Sony digital cameras, the company announced recently. With CamFi 3.0, the latest version of the app, Sony camera owners can attach the CamFi wireless controller to their camera via a USB cable, then access and control the camera remotely using a laptop or tablet over Wi-Fi.

CamFi supports live view from Sony digital cameras, as well as Nikon and Canon cameras, and also enables photographers to change camera settings and capture shots using a laptop or tablet. The controller supports multi-camera setups, and also adds support for the latest DNP wireless printer server. The company says CamFi 3.0 also supports both Raw and JPEG image formats.

According to the CamFi Sony support page, the product presently supports the Sony a7R, a7R II, a7S, a7 II, a7, a6300, a6000, and a5100 models. Both MTP and PC Remote modes are supported; users can select their preferred mode in the camera’s ‘USB Connection’ menu. Check out the support page for full details on how to set up and use CamFi with Sony cameras.

Press release:

CamFi 3.0 Adds Wireless Tether Support for Sony Cameras

GUANGDONG, CHINA. – February 23, 2017 – CamFi Limited, maker of wireless controllers for digital cameras, announced today that the new version of its app, CamFi 3.0, adds wireless tether support for Sony cameras. This feature allows the photographer to transmit photos from a Sony camera to a laptop or tablet via Wi-Fi automatically during a photo shoot.

“CamFi is the only wireless camera controller which can support Canon, Nikon and Sony currently. The support for other camera brands will be added in the future,” Said Mark Ma, CEO of CamFi, “We hope we can bring something new for the photography industry.”

CamFi 3.0 supports both raw and jpeg image file formats. It also supports live view for Sony cameras. That way, a photographer can see the live view of the camera, change the ISO, shutter speed and aperture and shoot remotely. Furthermore, the new version added support for the newest DNP wireless printer server. This allows the user to print the photo via Wi-Fi immediately after shooting. CamFi supports multiple camera control, which can be used to create a bullet time effect.

There are many advantages to using wireless remote capture. For one thing, the technology enables the photographer to see the preview image on a large screen, such as that of a tablet, versus the small viewfinder of the camera. The tether also makes it possible for the camera to be in a position that gets the right shot, but which is not necessary comfortable or safe for the photographer. For instance, the camera can be mounted on a high railing while the photographer can see the preview while standing on the floor below. Wireless tethers are helpful for time-lapse photography and self-portraits as well.

For more information and the full list of product specifications, please visit
http://cam-fi.com

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Lensrentals and the mysterious case of the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM

25 Feb

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One lens’ bad fortune is our gain: the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM’s optical test results had been puzzling the team at Lensrentals, and when a customer dropped one recently a teardown was in order. The teardown took a total of six hours – twice the usual amount of time required – and along the way they found a lot of solidly constructed pieces, a mysterious component they dubbed the ‘Southern Fairy Tale Ring,’ and a great deal of silicone glue.

This article details the first part of the teardown, showing the disassembly of the first half of the lens up to the point where a snack break was needed. It’s a long read but as always, thoroughly fascinating and entertaining. It turns out that construction of the FE 70-200mm F2.8 is a bit unconventional, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

Read LensRentals’ Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS Teardown (Part 1)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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World’s fastest SD cards hit 299MB/s write-speed according to Sony

23 Feb

Sony has announced what it is describing as the world’s fastest SD memory cards with the launch of the new SF-G series. The three cards under the new label are capable of reading out at a rate of 300MB/s, but more significantly for camera performance they can accept data at a write speed of up to 299MB/s. Such speeds equip them to receive high resolution video as well as to cope with the new wave of extreme frame rates in DSLR and mirrorless cameras – such as that produced by the Olympus OM-D E-M1 ll.

Sony says that it isn’t just the physical properties of the cards that assist getting long bursts of high resolution images recorded, as the company has also developed a new algorithm that it says ‘prevents loss of speed in data writing even after repeating burst shooting, and contributes to the camera’s speed of burst shooting’.

Sony will launch three different capacities in the SF-G range; 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, and says the very high read rates possible will reduce the time it takes users to copy large amounts of data from the cards – so long as a suitable card reader is used. Conveniently then, Sony has also announced a new card reader that uses USB 3.1. The MRW-S1 is claimed to be the fastest card reader in the world too, due to its adoption of SuperSpeed USB and a direct, cable-free connection between the reader and the PC’s USB port.
No pricing has been released with the news, but the SF-G cards are due to go on sale in March while the card reader is expected for April.

It’s interesting to note, however, that the card is still rated as U3 speed class, meaning that it’s only guaranteed to be able to sustain a writing speed of 30MB/s, which is significant if you’re attempting to shoot video (30MB/s is 240 Mbps). It’s unclear whether this is because the card can’t dependably write fast enough to earn a V60 rating or if Sony simply hasn’t fully adopted the SD 5.0 standard yet.

For more information visit the Sony memory card website.

Press Release

Sony launches the World’s Fastest SD card, the SF-G series

World’s fastest SD Card for writing speeds up to 299MB/s, for burst mode shooting and 4K video with DSLR

Faster reading speeds up to 300MB/s, for quick file transfer
File rescue software to recover accidentally deleted photos and videos

Faster than ever before

Sony has applied years of experience in professional media to expand the current high performance memory card line up with an ultra-fast speed model that will maximise your camera performance. Introducing the world’s fastest SD card, the SF-G series is the perfect accompaniment for your high-performance DSLR or mirrorless camera, offering up to 299MB/s write speeds, contributing to longer high-speed continuous burst mode shooting for high-resolution images with cameras supporting UHS-II.

Available in 32GB, 64GB or 128GB storage capacity, this memory card’s blazing-fast write speed also allows for a shorter buffer clearing time, making sure you will never miss those life-changing moments or shots.

A Sony developed algorithm prevents loss of speed in data writing even after repeating burst shooting, and contributes to the camera’s speed of burst shooting – this is an SD card you can rely on.

Another brilliant feature of this SD card is the ultra-fast read speed of up to 300MB/s. Paired with a memory card reader, the cards can transfer large volumes and file sizes to a computer very quickly, contributing to a more efficient workflow for professionals.

“As the continuous shooting of higher-resolution images and adoption of 4K video with DSLR and mirrorless camera increases, the inherent need for larger, faster and more reliable cards becomes apparent. Thanks to the SF-G series, we continue to show our commitment to providing a full range of extremely high performance media devices to professional photographers and enthusiasts, maximising their camera performances” said Romain Rousseau, European Product Marketing Manager.

The perfect back-up

Sony’s SD products are highly reliable and durable and offer such features as water proofing and anti-static protection which help keep your precious contents safe. But when you are out all day shooting fast with time at a premium, accidental deletion of images can happen. With Sony’s free downloadable File rescue software, you can quickly recover deleted images or videos, including RAW images and 4K XAVC-S video files.

MRW-S1, the fastest card reader for SF-G series

In conjunction with SF-G series, Sony is introducing a new memory card reader, model MRW-S1, the perfect solution to drastically improve workflow efficiency after shooting by quickly transferring large data from SF-G series SD cards to a PC. This compact card reader offers an in-built SuperSpeed USB (USB3.1 Gen.1) standard A port for cable-free PC connection, so that your files can be copied faster than copying through the SD slot on a PC.

The new SF-G series SD cards will be available in stores in March 2017 and the MRW-S1 card reader will be available in stores in April 2017.

For more information on Sony’s SD card lineup, including the SF-G series, please visit; https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/storage-devices/t/sd-cards

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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World’s fastest SD cards hit 299MB/s write-speed according to Sony

23 Feb

For more information visit the Sony memory card website.

Press Release

Sony launches the World’s Fastest SD card, the SF-G series

World’s fastest SD Card for writing speeds up to 299MB/s, for burst mode shooting and 4K video with DSLR

Faster reading speeds up to 300MB/s, for quick file transfer
File rescue software to recover accidentally deleted photos and videos

Faster than ever before

The perfect back-up

MRW-S1, the fastest card reader for SF-G series

The new SF-G series SD cards will be available in stores in March 2017 and the MRW-S1 card reader will be available in stores in April 2017.

For more information on Sony’s SD card lineup, including the SF-G series, please visit; https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/storage-devices/t/sd-cards

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF bokeh demystified

18 Feb

Sony’s new STF (Smooth Trans Focus) 100mm F2.8 GM OSS uses an apodization (APD) filter to create very smooth out-of-focus regions/highlights both in front of, and behind, the focal plane.

But how exactly does it work? Sony has published a video demonstrating the principle, and the effect. Take a look:

The apodization element is a circular graduated neutral density filter that lets in more central light rays than peripheral light rays. This smooths out transitions between out-of-focus elements, leading to quite unique imagery.

The APD element is a (circular) graduated neutral density filter inserted into the optical path of the lens. Out-of-focus light rays that are either converging in front of the focal plane, or diverging behind the focal plane, have a gradual radial softening (seen as darkening of the more oblique rays in front of or behind the focal plane). This yields less interference between out-of-focus light rays and, so, less ‘busy’ and simply smoother bokeh.

What’s the real-world impact? Have a look at the image comparison below, which compares the foreground and background bokeh with and without the APD element:

The APD element leads to smoother foreground and background bokeh. Note how out-of-focus highlights are smoothed, and this applies to everything. There’s a cost though: sometimes I like sharp, enlarged de-blurred out-of-focus highlights, which you won’t get with this lens. But what you will get is smooth, creamy bokeh.

We’ve had very little time with the lens, but our initial impressions of image quality are extremely positive. If you’d like to learn more about the lens, visit the company’s dedicated page on this lens over at Sony Alpha Universe, then take a look at the phenomenal MTF curves on Sony.com’s site. Yes, this is a sharp lens, but with beautiful bokeh. And image stabilization, to boot, which, combined with IBIS on most E-mount cameras, will allow you to use slow-ish shutter speeds to maximize light gathering, minimizing noise.

Which you’ll need, because wide open, while you have the depth-of-field of F2.8, you have the light transmission of F5.6.

Sony’s E-mount system is becoming increasingly hard to ignore for professional results. With the release of the 100mm STF GM and 85/1.8 lenses, Sony is rounding out a format that already accepts arguably the largest lens lineup in history (thanks to its short flange distance). But the importance of a native lineup cannot be over-stressed, as it is native lenses that benefit most from Sony’s AF technologies.

A note on autofocus…

Similar STF lenses tend to be manual focus or contrast detect-only, since peripheral light rays – the very ones the filter is designed to block out – are necessary for traditional phase-detect sensors to function. However, since (at least Sony’s) on-sensor PDAF sensors can still use more central light rays for focusing, focusing does still work, remarkably well in fact with the a7R II, even indoors, wide open. That’s quite an achievement, in no small part due to the excellent focusing system of the a7R II. What’s more, movement of the focus element(s) is incredibly fast, thanks to the excellent Direct Drive SSM mechanism we’ve seen in blazingly fast-to-focus lenses like the FE 35mm F1.4 and FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM.

“Unlike Sony’s recent releases, this lens focuses wide open…”

In other words, I was able to use to the 100mm STF to focus on faces, even using Eye AF, in fairly low indoor lighting, despite the T5.6 rating at a F2.8 aperture. This is in no small part due to the fact that this lens, unlike Sony’s recent releases, focuses wide open (albeit stopping down after initial acquisition in AF-C). More tests to follow, but simply the fact they got phase-detect AF working, nevermind the AF performance, is nothing short of impressive.

The FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS is already shaping up to be a spectacular lens, adding to an already well-rounded, serious E-mount lens lineup.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

09 Feb

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Sony announced a pair of short telephoto prime lenses at this year’s WPPI show in Las Vegas – the FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS and the FE 85mm F1.8, both intended for use on the company’s a7-series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

Here’s the FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS, which joins Sony’s growing ‘G Master’ lineup, as one of the company’s flagship lenses.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

The 100mm F2.8 has a complex optical design, featuring 14 elements in 10 groups, including ED and aspherical elements. Somewhat unusually, this lens is a ‘Smooth Trans Focus’ (STF) design, which incorporates an APD (apodization) element. The APD element acts as a radial gradient filter, which – in simple terms – improves the quality of out of focus areas, by diffusing bokeh circles. Traditionally, we’ve seen APD elements in lenses specifically aimed at portraiture, for obvious reasons.

Unlike the Minolta-designed 135mm F2.8 [T4.5] STF lens that Sony still offers for A-mount cameras, the 100mm F2.8 STF is an autofocus lens.

A ‘macro’ switch enables the lens to be focused down to 0.57 meters (a little under 2 feet), and built-in stabilization should enhance its usefulness when hand-held.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Eleven aperture blades means an almost perfectly circular aperture even when the 100mm F2.8 is stopped down. This isn’t the sole determinant of bokeh quality but it goes towards ensuring out-of-focus highlights remain circular.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

The FE 100mm F2.8 features a ‘manual’ aperture ring. It’s not mechanically linked, and offers an ‘A’ position to transfer aperture control to the camera body. The ring can operate either as a conventional ‘clicked’ dial with third-stop detents, or ‘declicked’ for smooth, stepless operation. For video work, ‘declicking’ allows for much more practical brightness adjustment during shooting.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Like all of Sony’s G Master lenses, the 100mm F2.8 is built to a very high standard, and features dust and moisture sealing. A rubber grommet runs around the circumference of the lens-mount, to help maintain the seal between camera and lens. Despite the complex optical construction and high standard of build, the lens is relatively lightweight, weighing in at 700 g (1.54 lb).

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Much lighter though, is the new FE 85mm F1.8, a budget short telephoto prime aimed at enthusiast Sony FE shooters who don’t need (or can’t quite justify) the GM 85mm F1.4. This affordable prime weighs in at 371 g (0.82 lb).

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

The optical design of the FE 85mm F1.8 is much simpler in comparison with the 100mm F2.8, comprising 9 elements in 8 groups. The button above the AF/MF switch can be customized and assigned together with functions in the camera body. On most bodies it’s a focus hold control by default, but you could for instance assign it to EyeAF.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Sony makes life easy for camera journalists by writing some key spec directly onto the lenses. Here, we can see that the filter ring is 67mm and minimum focus distance is 0.8m (2.6ft). Compared to the 100mm F2.8 this isn’t great (it’s pretty standard for a short tele prime) but it’s fine for mid-length portraiture, of the kind that lenses of this type are ideally suited to.

In contrast to the more expensive Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8, the Sony isn’t stabilized. However, unlike the similarly unstabilized 85mm F1.8s from Canon and Nikon, the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 can be used with the second-generation a7 series cameras, which offer in-body stabilization.

Hands-on with Sony 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

Despite its lower cost and lack of ‘GM’ designation, the FE 85mm F1.8 is also dust and moisture sealed, although we don’t know whether the amount of sealing is equivalent to Sony’s high-end lenses. Like the FE 100mm F2.8, the 85mm features a rubber grommet around its mount, to help keep dirt and moisture out of the lens throat.

Both lenses are expected to ship in March. The FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS will cost $ 1500, while the FE 85mm F1.8 will sell for around $ 600.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony announces compact HVL-F45RM radio-controlled flash

08 Feb

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Sony has announced its new HVL-F45RM external flash. This compact flash is ‘ideally suited for a7-series’ and offers a guide number of 45m (at ISO 100), 2.5 sec recharge time and the ability to take 210-shot bursts. It also has a built-in LED lamp for video recording.

The HVL-F45RM can control up to five groups of radio-controlled flashes, with a 30m range. With three flashes per group, that’s a total of 15 external strobes. It can also control three groups via ‘optical’ control. As you might have guessed, the F45RM can also serve as a receiver.

The flash can rotate 180° in either direction and tilt up 150° and down 8°. It has an intuitive interface and a 4-way controller with customizable buttons. The F45RM is sealed against dust and moisture incursion.

The HVL-F45RM will ship this May for about $ 400 US and $ 550 CA.

Press Release

Sony Introduces 100mm F2.8 STF G Master™ with Highest Ever Quality Bokeh for an ? Lens

New Full-frame 85mm F1.8 Mid-telephoto prime lens and Compact Radio-Controlled Flash announced as well

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 7, 2017 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced two new lenses for their popular line of E-mount interchangeable lens cameras.

Sony’s new lenses include one of their flagship G Master Series – an FE 100mm F2.8¹ STF GM OSS mid- telephoto prime lens (model SEL100F28GM) built to deliver breathtaking bokeh with a unique STF™ (Smooth Trans Focus) design, and a new compact, lightweight FE 85mm F1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens (model SEL85F18) that is a welcome addition to the bag of any hobbyist or enthusiast photographer looking to create amazing portraits.

They have also introduced a new powerful, compact flash (model HVL-F45RM) with radio-controlled wireless communication that is ideal for professional shooting with Sony’s lineup of ?7 full-frame cameras.

FE 100mm F2.8¹ STF GM OSS Telephoto Prime Lens

A specially designed mid-telephoto, full-frame prime lens, the new 100mm STF is built to produce truly unique, magnificent and beautiful bokeh while maintaining the exceptional standard of resolution that is showcased by Sony’s entire line of flagship G Master series lenses, making it a powerful photographic tool for any portrait, fashion, nature or wedding photographer.

These impressive defocus capabilities are made possible by the lens’ advanced optical structure, as it features a newly designed 11-bladed aperture and a unique optical apodization lens element. Similar to a neutral density filter that increases in density towards the edges, the apodization element creates beautiful transitions of in-focus to out-of-focus areas within an image, making for exceptionally soft, smooth bokeh that adds depth and dimensionality. This allows the subjects to stand out against beautifully defocused elements in both the foreground and background, producing an image that is naturally pleasing to the eye. The design of the lens also ensures that vignetting is kept to an absolute minimum, ensuring optimum image quality.

Additionally, the new 100mm lens supports both contrast AF and focal-plane phase detection AF², and has a high-precision, quiet direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Motor) system that ensures exceptionally fast and accurate AF performance. The SEL100F28GM also offers up to 0.25x close-up capabilities with a built-in macro switching ring, built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization, a customizable focus hold button, AF/MF switch, aperture ring and more. It is dust and moisture resistant as well3.

FE 85mm F1.8 Telephoto Prime Lens

The new 85mm F1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens offers an extremely versatile, lightweight and compact telephoto prime lens solution for a variety of Sony camera owners ranging from working professionals to emerging enthusiasts that have stepped up to full-frame or APS-C cameras for the first time. With its wide F1.8 aperture, it can produce impressive, exceptionally sharp portraits with soft background defocus that take advantage of its 85mm focal length and wide F1.8 maximum aperture.

The new prime lens features a 9-bladed circular aperture mechanism that ensures smooth, natural looking bokeh, and a double linear motor system to allow for fast, precise and quiet focusing. It also has a focus hold button that can be customized and assigned together with functions in the camera body like the popular Eye AF feature. There is a smooth, responsive focus ring and AF/MF switch as well, and the lens is also dust and moisture resistant³.

New Compact Radio-controlled Flash

Sony’s new HVL-F45RM flash enhances the radio-controlled lighting system capabilities of their growing system, offering a compact professional shooting solution when combined with the currently available wireless remote controller FA-WRC1M and receiver FA-WRR1.

The new flash, which is designed to complement the compact bodies of Sony’s E-mount camera lineup including full-frame ?7 models, produces a maximum lighting output as expansive as GN45⁴. This ensures sufficient illumination even when shooting with bounce lighting or high-speed-sync (HSS) flash. The radio capabilities of the HVL-F45RM allow it to be used as a transmitter or a receiver at up to 30m (approx. 98 feet⁵), making it an ideal fit for creative lighting with multiple flashes. Additionally, unlike optical flash systems, radio-control flashes do not require a direct line-of-sight between components to function properly, while also minimizing any impact that bright sunlight has on signal transmission and control.

The HVL-F45RM flash has an impressive battery life of up to 210 bursts, and can tilt up to 150o vertically, a complete 360o horizontally and up to 8o downward to maximize versatility. Usability has been maximized with a new large, bright and highly visible LCD display, an LED light, dust and moisture resistant design3 and a revamped menu system that mimics those of Sony’s newest camera systems.

Pricing and Availability

Both of the new lenses and the new flash unit will ship to authorized dealers throughout North America.

The new FE 100mm F2.8 STF OSS GM Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 1,500 US and $ 2,050 CA.

The new FE 85mm F1.8 Mid-Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 600 US and $ 800 CA.

Replacement lens hoods for each of the new models will also be available for purchase as well.

The new HVL-F45RM flash will ship this May for about $ 400 US and $ 550 CA.

1. T-number (T) =5.6
2. With compatible ?camera bodies. Please visit Sony support webpages for details.
3. Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof.
4. Guide Number (GN) 45 (105mm, in meters at ISO 100)
5. Sony internal measurement

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Sony shows off 3-layer stacked smartphone image sensor that can shoot 1000 fps at 1080p

08 Feb

Sony has today announced the development of a 3-layer stacked CMOS image sensor with DRAM for smartphones, making it possible to capture video at 1000 fps. The new chip comes with a DRAM layer in addition to the conventional 2-layer stacked CMOS structure with a back-illuminated layer of photo-sites and a circuit layer for signal processing. The DRAM acts as a temporary buffer for image data that is recorded at very high speeds, before it is put out at normal speed to a conventional image signal processor.

The new design results in very fast readout speeds of 1/120sec for a 19.3 MP image which is approximately 4x faster than conventional chips. Due to the reduction of time it takes to read each line of pixels, the so-called Jello-effect, which occurs when shooting fast-moving subjects on cameras without mechanical shutter, has been greatly reduced.

The sensor has also been designed to keep noise generated between the circuits on each of the three layers at a minimum. Given the technology is currently still in development stage, there is no way of knowing when it will appear in any production devices. That said, looking at the quite impressive slow-motion footage in the sample video reel below, we sincerely hope it won’t be too long.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony announces 100mm F2.8 STF G Master and FE 85mm F1.8 lenses

07 Feb

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Sony has taken the wraps off of two full-frame new mid-telephoto prime lenses. The company is making big claims about bokeh produced by the FE 100mm F2.8 STF OSS GM, which it says is improved by the use of an apodization (APD) element. The optical design is said to minimize vignetting, and the lens offers an 11-blade aperture. A macro switching ring engages the lens’ close focus capabilities for shooting subjects as near as 0.57m/1.87ft (0.25x magnification). The lens includes Sony’s built-in optical stabilization, and like other G Master lenses, it’s dust- and weather-resistant.


100mm F2.8 GM MTF chart via Sony.	Lens configuration via Sony.

Also new is the non-G-Master FE 85mm F1.8, a relatively compact and lightweight portrait prime for the E-mount system. It uses a 9-blade circular aperture, ‘double linear motor system,’ and is also dust- and moisture-resistant. The lens does not offer built-in stabilization.


85mm MTF chart via Sony.	Lens configuration via Sony.

Both lenses are expected to ship in March. The FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS will cost $ 1500, while the FE 85mm F1.8 will sell for $ 600.

Press Release

Sony Introduces 100mm F2.8 STF G Master™ with Highest Ever Quality Bokeh for an ? Lens

New Full-frame 85mm F1.8 Mid-telephoto prime lens and Compact Radio-Controlled Flash announced as well

Sony’s new lenses include one of their flagship G Master Series – an FE 100mm F2.81 STF GM OSS mid- telephoto prime lens (model SEL100F28GM) built to deliver breathtaking bokeh with a unique STF™ (Smooth Trans Focus) design, and a new compact, lightweight FE 85mm F1.8 mid-telephoto prime lens (model SEL85F18) that is a welcome addition to the bag of any hobbyist or enthusiast photographer looking to create amazing portraits.

FE 100mm F2.81 STF GM OSS Telephoto Prime Lens

Additionally, the new 100mm lens supports both contrast AF and focal-plane phase detection AF2, and has a high-precision, quiet direct drive SSM (Super Sonic Motor) system that ensures exceptionally fast and accurate AF performance. The SEL100F28GM also offers up to 0.25x close-up capabilities with a built-in macro switching ring, built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization, a customizable focus hold button, AF/MF switch, aperture ring and more. It is dust and moisture resistant as well3.

FE 85mm F1.8 Telephoto Prime Lens

New Compact Radio-controlled Flash

The new flash, which is designed to complement the compact bodies of Sony’s E-mount camera lineup including full-frame ?7 models, produces a maximum lighting output as expansive as GN45 4. This ensures sufficient illumination even when shooting with bounce lighting or high-speed-sync (HSS) flash. The radio capabilities of the HVL-F45RM allow it to be used as a transmitter or a receiver at up to 30m (approx. 98 feet5), making it an ideal fit for creative lighting with multiple flashes. Additionally, unlike optical flash systems, radio-control flashes do not require a direct line-of-sight between components to function properly, while also minimizing any impact that bright sunlight has on signal transmission and control.

Pricing and Availability

Both of the new lenses and the new flash unit will ship to authorized dealers throughout North America.

The new FE 100mm F2.8 STF OSS GM Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 1,500 US and $ 2,050 CA.

The new FE 85mm F1.8 Mid-Telephoto Prime Lens will ship this March for about $ 600 US and $ 800 CA.

Replacement lens hoods for each of the new models will also be available for purchase as well.

The new HVL-F45RM flash will ship this May for about $ 400 US and $ 550 CA.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Gallery update: shooting basketball with the Sony a99 II

06 Feb

The Sony a99 II boasts some serious sports shooting capabilities including 12 fps continuous shooting with AF-C. That coupled with its impressive AF system and 42MP full frame sensor make the a99 II essentially the only high-resolution/high speed full frame camera on the market. So to get a sense of just how powerful this beast is, we took it to a University of Washington vs University of Southern California NCAA Division 1 basketball game.

See our a99 II sample gallery update

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