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50mm deluge continues: a Macro this time
#1
Just when we thought there would be no more 50mm (ish) lenses from/for Sony E mount... Sony makes one more entry into the field! This time a macro lens capable of 1:1 magnification.

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/1499900501...f2-8-macro

 

Gnarly if you ask me. The details on the autofocusing mechanism are conspicuously absent from the press release, which tells me that we may have to be ready for the stuff along the lines of the 50/1.8. Smile

#2
Not sure what you mean by autofocusing mechanism. I see that the lens extends when focusing. Provides a nice scale on the front barrel. Also, the front element is deeply recessed, so no hood needed. A small and light package. I'm interested, as I don't have a 50mm for my A7. And the price isn't too much compared to some of the other 50's.

#3
50 Macro has been the workhorse of generations of photographers and I'm quite happy to see Sony back on the small & affordable side.

 

It looks like "old style" AF where the entire lens move forward to focus instead of modern/fast internal focus.

That keeps the lens more compact when retracted but also probably means slower focus.
#4
Quote:Not sure what you mean by autofocusing mechanism. I see that the lens extends when focusing. Provides a nice scale on the front barrel. Also, the front element is deeply recessed, so no hood needed. A small and light package. I'm interested, as I don't have a 50mm for my A7. And the price isn't too much compared to some of the other 50's.
There is no mention of the type of focusing motor, which leads me to believe it's the worst possible option (noisy, slow and weak micro-motor - if it had been anything better they would've taken their time to point it out). But at the same time, the lens benefits from weather sealing... looks like Sony is a little inconsistent with the positioning of their offerings. However, I'll be giving this lens the benefit of the doubt until we see for ourselves what it's really like (and Klaus has it stretched and dissected in his lab Smile).

Quote:50 Macro has been the workhorse of generations of photographers and I'm quite happy to see Sony back on the small & affordable side.

 

It looks like "old style" AF where the entire lens move forward to focus instead of modern/fast internal focus.

That keeps the lens more compact when retracted but also probably means slower focus.
Price-wise it's in line with the 28/2 - and like that one, it's labelled neither Zeiss nor G - so we may be seeing the foundations of a whole lens line here.

#5
I don't think a slow AF motor is a big problem with a macro lens... BTW, I'm not an expert of macro, but for the kind of macro work I've been doing in the past 18 months I doubt that one can often auto-focus a macro subject without applying manual corrections... Noisy could be a problem? Perhaps... Actually I don't know whether insects are scared by noise. The latest bug I've taken a photo at was a dwarf mantis from 30 cm, she (it was a female) was totally aware of my presence, noise or not, at the point that after a minute of staring at me she attacked the lens and was even capable of stroking the front lens with some karate-like move...

 

 

It all boils down to the image quality. I won't dare to interpret the MTF diagram as I demonstrated I'm still incapable of correctly doing that  Rolleyes , but if it's good, it's definitely an interesting lens: compact, light and the price sounds reasonable. 

stoppingdown.net

 

Sony a6300, Sony a6000, Sony NEX-6, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS, Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS, Sigma 150-600mm Æ’/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, Samyang 12mm Æ’/2, Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN | A, Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm Æ’/2.8, Samyang 8mm Æ’/3.5 fish-eye II | Zenit Helios 44-2 58mm Æ’/2 
Plus some legacy Nikkor lenses.
#6
I doubt that Sony can mess up a 50mm macro lens (IQ wise), so it should be a good one (comparable to the old Nikkor 55mm f3.5 and 55mm f2.8 for instance). Price is on the unreasonable side though (small elements, only one aspherical lens, one "ED" element, only 8 elements in total).

 

Look at the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM in comparison (also small elements but contains bigger elements, 2 aspherical lenses, one "UD" element, 14 elements in total, IS + STM). It costs less than half.
#7
Well, the Sigma Macro 50mm F2.8 EX DG sells at Amazon's for 455€... A Pentax 50MMF/2,8 Macro, at the same store, sells for 365€, but the nominal price is 499€... 

stoppingdown.net

 

Sony a6300, Sony a6000, Sony NEX-6, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS, Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS, Sigma 150-600mm Æ’/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, Samyang 12mm Æ’/2, Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN | A, Meyer Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm Æ’/2.8, Samyang 8mm Æ’/3.5 fish-eye II | Zenit Helios 44-2 58mm Æ’/2 
Plus some legacy Nikkor lenses.
#8
I know I may just change my nickname to MF Hater or something and nobody would notice any difference, but way back once I nearly bought a Sigma 105mm macro (non-OS) that not only had painfully slow AF but the MF ring was also scratchy and very stiff, making focusing unpleasurable either way. I really hope Sony doesn't reprise the mistake they made (per the words of Klaus and quite a few other users) with the 50/1.8. Especially not at this price point which is a bit on the high side. After all, even Sigma and Tamron are steadily updating their lenses for modern AF, but some makers are going against the tide of times, more or less (Sony and Tokina, I'm looking at you).

#9
Quote:Well, the Sigma Macro 50mm F2.8 EX DG sells at Amazon's for 455€... A Pentax 50MMF/2,8 Macro, at the same store, sells for 365€, but the nominal price is 499€... 
The Sigma macro has 10 elements, which also appear to be bigger (it weighs therefore about 100 grams more).

 

If Canon can make the more complex 10-18mm for less than half, Sony should be able to make this macro (and make a profit) for less than $600 too. But with a 50mm f1.8 costing $300, I guess everything looks reasonably priced Wink
#10
If only the lenses had been priced by the pound (or by the amount of glass elements)... the Sony system would have been among the most affordable!  Tongue

  


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