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Sony introduced 3 new zoom lenses together with the official announcement of their second DSLR camera Alpha A700.
Sony user (also Konica Minolta users) have been complaining of Sony due to very limited number of A-mount lens options and high prices compared to Canon and Nikon equivalents. Sony knew that they had to close this gap in order be a serious competitor in the DSLR business and also draw attention of pro and semi-pro photogs besides amateurs.
Introduction of these three new lenses are surely good news for Sony and KM users, but are they really going to be able to fulfill their expactations? Time will tell.
The new Sony A-mount Lenses:
The first new lens DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 is a versatile standart zoom which will come out as a kit lens opt,on to A700 along with the current 18-70mm DT. 16-105mm by no means offers a very useful focal range (35mm equivalent 24-157.5mm), especially on the ultra-wide side. Designed specifically for APS-C type sensors, this 6.6x zoom employs one ED (extra-low dispersion) and two aspherical glass to ensure reduced chromatic aberrations and good contrast inside a compact and lightweight body. Thanks to internal focus feature, the front elements does not rotate during focusing. If it is optically as good as it looks on paper, it will a serious alternative to impressive Carl Zeiss 16-80mm, lets wait for the first reviews to find out.
Sony DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 - Specifications:
• 15 elements in 11 groups
• Min. focus: 0.4m
• Max. magnification: 0.29x
• Dimensions (Ø x L): 72 x 83 mm
• Weight: 470g
• Supplied petal hood
• Price: $579.99
• Availability: November 2007
The second new lens, Sony DT 18-250mm F3.5-6.3, offers great versatility with its 13.9x zoom range (35mm equivalent 27–375mm). Design for APS-C sized sensors, seems to be an ideal solution for photographers that are looking for low weight (only 440 gr.) all-in-one solution. This lens is probably identical or slightly modified version of Tamron 18-250mm F3.5-6.3. Tamron had surprisingly very good image quality for a lens with this zoom range, hopefully Sony improved it to perform even better.
Sony DT 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 - Specifications
• 16 elements in 13 groups
• Min. focus: 0.45 m
• Max. magnification: 0.29x
• Dimensions (Ø x L): 75 x 86 mm
• Weight: 440 g
• Supplied petal hood
• Price: $549.99
• Availability: October 2007
The third lens, Sony Alpha 700 - DT 55-200mm (35mm equivalent 82.5–300mm) is a compact, lightweight (295 g) and affordable telephoto zoom that is specifically designed for APS-C sized sensors. Surely not as exiciting as the first two, but will be a budget zoom for the beginners.
Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 - Specifications
• 13 elements in 9 groups
• Min. focus: 0.95 m
• Max. magnification: 0.29x
• Dimensions (Øx L): 71.5 x 85 mm
• Weight: 295 g
• Supplied circular hood
• Availability: October 2007
Sony also informed the development of a new G-series lens, Sony Alpha 700 - 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM which will be available in Spring 2008. This high quality G-series optics is complemented by a Supersonic Wave Motor (SSM) which promises fast and accurate focusing and superb image quality across the entire zoom range. I would expect a faster lens with the G-series optical quality, but don’t think many will complain.
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