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a creation Stellar choices for photographic expression Photography is creative. A photographer must make a number of critical choices that will determine the outcome. One of the most influential choices is the lens itself.
Contents Lenses: How they capture and control light 06 Fixed Focal Length Lenses Projecting an image A look inside/Read your lenses Lens mount and sensor formats Aperture, f-numbers and depth of field Focal length, angle of view and perspective Macro photography Hoods and filters Carl Zeiss® optics Making sense of MTF Choosing the right lens a lens technology 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 16mm F2.8 Fisheye 20mm F2.8 28mm F2.8 DT 35mm F1.8 SAM 50mm F1.4 DT 50mm F1.8 SAM 85mm F2.8 SAM 135mm F2.8 [T4.
Lenses: How they capture and control light The linguistic roots of the word “photography” are the Greek words meaning “light” and “drawing.” Photography is “drawing with light,” and lenses are the brushes. After their imagination, lenses are the photographer’s primary creative tools. The way a lens captures and presents an image to the camera’s sensor determines the visual outcome more than any other factor.
Lens mount and sensor formats Alignment mark Sony A-mount and E-mount systems Electrical contacts Sony a series interchangeable-lens digital cameras are currently produced in two categories, each of which uses a different lens mount and different types of lenses. A-mount SLR (single lens reflex) type cameras have a more traditional shape and utilize moving mirrors or advanced translucent mirrors. Ultra-compact E-mount cameras don’t use reflex mirrors at all.
Focal length, angle of view and perspective Focal plane (image sensor plane) Focal length Maximum magnification ratio Focal length, or focal length range in the case of zooms, will usually be the foremost consideration when choosing a lens for a specific photograph or type of photography. The focal length of a lens determines two characteristics that are very important to photographers: magnification and angle of view.
Hoods and filters Carl Zeiss® optics Use your lens hood! The lens hoods provided with most interchangeable-lenses are not just accessories to be used occasionally. They are an important part of the lens’s optical system and should always be used in order to ensure optimum performance. There are exceptions, such as when an on-camera flash is used and the lens hood casts a shadow, but for most shooting situations the lens hood should be on the lens, not in your bag.
Making sense of MTF Choosing the right lens Those MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) graphs that often accompany lens specifications are really not as impenetrable as they look, and they can give you a good idea of how a lens will perform, so it might be worth taking a few minutes to learn what they mean. MTF describes a lens’s ability to resolve finely spaced black and white lines printed on a test target.
a lens technology The technology required to produce first-class interchangeable camera lenses is very sophisticated indeed, and that applies to every phase of the production process from design through precision parts manufacturing and assembly to stringent quality assurance testing and more. Sony brings a distinguished history of excellence in all of these areas to bear in producing the a lenses.
M mode, 1/1250 sec., F8, ISO 200, Auto white balance; Photo: Goh Fujimaki Wide-angle zoom DT 11–18mm F4.5–5.6 SAL1118 One ED glass element and three aspherical elements for superior image quality High contrast throughout zoom range Flare and aberrations effectively subdued Circular aperture for attractive defocusing 35mm equivalent focal length: 16.
M mode , 1/250 sec., F5.6, ISO 400, Manual white balance M mode, 1/100 sec., F8, ISO 200, Daylight white balance, Landscape Creative Style; Photo: Norifumi Inagaki Mid-range zoom Mid-range zoom DT 16–50mm F2.8 SSM DT 16–105mm F3.5–5.6 SAL16105 SAL1650 Three ED glass elements and two aspherical elements for superior image quality Bright constant F2.
A mode, 1/80 sec., F5.6, ISO 100, Daylight white balance; Photo: Norifumi Inagaki M Mode, 1/800 sec., f8.0, ISO 200 Mid-range zoom DT 18–55mm F3.5–5.6 SAM Mid-range telephoto zoom DT 18–135mm F3.5–5.6 SAM SAL1855 One ED glass element and two aspherical elements for superior image quality 0.25m min. focus plus 0.34x max. magnification for close-ups Responsive internal SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) autofocus drive Circular aperture for attractive defocusing 35mm equivalent focal length: 27–82.
S mode, 1/250 sec., F6.3, +1.0 EV, ISO 3200, Auto white balance; Photo: Shinya Morimoto P mode, 1/125 sec., F5.6, +0.3 EV, ISO 100, Auto white balance, Portrait Creative Style; Photo: Norifumi Inagaki High magnification zoom High magnification zoom DT 18–200mm F3.5–6.3 DT 18–250mm F3.5–6.
A mode, 4 sec., F9.0, -1.0 EV, ISO 200, Daylight white balance; Photo: Kazu Kobayashi S mode, 1/3200 sec., F9, ISO800, Auto white balance Mid-range zoom 28–75mm F2.8 SAM Telephoto zoom DT 55–200mm F4–5.6 SAM SAL2875 Three ED glass elements and four apherical elements for superior image quality Bright constant F2.
M Mode, 1/200 sec., F8.0, ISO 200, Sunny white balance Telephoto zoom DT 55–300mm F4.5–5.6 SAM SAL55300 Compact, lightweight design Superb value and performance Zoom range: 55-300 mm 4.5 (1.4 m) minimum focus ED Glass for sharp imaging ED glass At 200 mm 100 100 80 80 Contrast (%) Contrast (%) At 55 mm 60 40 20 60 40 20 0 3 6 9 12 Distance from optical center of lens (mm) 0 3 6 9 12 Distance from optical center of lens (mm) Max.
A mode, 1/200 sec., F7.1, -0.3 EV, ISO 200, Auto white balance; Photo: Yuji Nukui M mode, 1/125 sec., F11, ISO 200, Landscape Creative Style; Photo: Yuji Nukui Fisheye 16mm F2.8 Fisheye Ultra wide angle 20mm F2.
M mode, 1/320 sec., F5.6, ISO 200, Cloudy white balance (-1); Photo: Kentaro Fukuda M mode, 1/125 sec., F11, ISO 200, Landscape Creative Style; Photo: Yuji Nukui Wide angle 28mm F2.8 Normal DT 35mm F1.
A mode, 1/320 sec., F2, +0.3 EV, ISO 200, Manual white balance M mode, 1/800 sec., F8, ISO 400, Auto white balance Mid-range telephoto Normal 50mm F1.4 DT 50mm F1.8 SAM SAL50F14 Flare effectively controlled for high contrast Outstanding corner-to-corner resolution Bright F1.4 max.
M mode, 1/640 sec., F2.8, -0.3EV, ISO 200, Manual white balance A mode, 1/400 sec., F4.5, ISO 200, 5300K color temperature; Photo: Chukyo Ozawa Telephoto Mid-range telephoto 85mm F2.8 SAM 135mm F2.8 [T4.
P mode, 1/200 sec., F4.5, ISO 100, Auto white balance; Photo: Kentaro Fukuda M mode, 1/50 sec., F2.8, ISO 400, Auto white balance; Photo: Shinya Morimoto Macro Macro DT 30mm F2.8 Macro SAM 50mm F2.
P mode, 1/160 sec., F2.8, ISO 400, Auto white balance; Photo: Kentaro Fukuda Macro 100mm F2.
A mode, 1/60 sec., F11, ISO 100, Daylight white balance A mode, 1/400 sec., F13, ISO 400, Auto white balance; Photo: Mark Tiller Telephoto zoom Telephoto zoom 70–200mm F2.8 G 70–300mm F4.5–5.6 G SSM SAL70200G Four ED glass elements effectively suppress aberration Constant F2.
Continuous Priority AE, 1/1250 sec., F5.6, -0.7 EV, ISO 100, Daylight white balance (+1); Photo: Goh Fujimaki A mode, 1/250 sec., F1.4, ISO 200, Vivid Creative Style; Photo: Yuji Nukui Super telephoto zoom 70–400mm F4–5.6 G SSM Wide-angle prime 35mm F1.
A Mode, 1/2500 Shutter Speed, f/2.8 Aperture, ISO 320 M Mode, 1/2000 sec., F4.0, ISO 200, Auto White Balance, Standard Creative Style Telephoto prime 300mm F2.8 G SSM Contrast (%) 80 60 40 20 8 12 16 20 Distance from optical center of lens (mm) Max.
Vario-Sonnar Distagon Vario-Sonnar Vario-Sonnar Sonnar Planar SAL70300G with SAL20TC, A mode, 1/500 sec., F6.3, -0.3 EV, ISO 200, Daylight white balance; Photo: Kazu Kobayashi Teleconverters 1.4x Teleconverter SAL14TC Optics designed to deliver uncompromised image quality Increase focal length without degrading resolution or contrast Compatible with: SAL70200G (AF and MF modes), SAL300F28G (AF and MF modes), SAL70400G (MF mode only) and SAL135F28 (MF mode only).
A mode, 1/800 sec., F8, +0.7EV, ISO 200, Manual white balance A mode, 1/50 sec., F8, -0.3 EV, ISO 200, Daylight white balance, B/W Creative Style; Photo: Kentaro Fukuda Mid-range zoom Wide-angle zoom Vario-Sonnar T* 16–35mm F2.
A mode, 1/30 sec., F11, +0.7 EV, ISO 100, Auto white balance; Photo: Mike Jones M mode, 1/500 sec., F8, -1.7 EV, ISO 200, Sunset Creative Style, D-Range Optimizer Lv2; Photo: Kentaro Fukuda Mid-range zoom Vario-Sonnar T* 24–70mm F2.8 ZA SSM Wide-angle prime Distagon T* 24mm F2 ZA SSM SAL2470Z Two ED glass elements and two aspherical elements for superior image quality Carl Zeiss T* coating effectively controls flare and glare Constant F2.
M mode, 1/160 sec., F4.0, -0.3 EV, ISO 200, Custom white balance; Photo: Chukyo Ozawa A mode, 1/320 sec., F2, ISO 200, 5300K color temperature; Photo: Chukyo Ozawa Mid-range telephoto prime Planar T* 85mm F1.4 ZA Telephoto prime Sonnar T* 135mm F1.
E-mount Lenses These compact, high-performance lenses are the cornerstone of a new category of still and video cameras that attest to the paradigm-shifting power of Sony innovation. They have been designed from the ground up to be used with the newest generation of ultra-compact APS-C format Sony camera and camcorder bodies, delivering big-camera image quality and features in astonishingly small but capable packages.
Auto mode, .6 sec., F2.8, +0.25 EV, ISO 800, Auto white balance; Photo: David McClain Wide-angle prime E 16mm F2.8 SEL16F28 SEL16F28 with VCL-ECF1, E 16mm F2.8 with Ultra Wide Converter, 1/3200 sec, F/6.3, ISO 200, Auto white balance Fisheye Converter VCL-ECF1 Ultra Wide Converter VCL-ECU1 Ultra-slim (22.
S mode, 1/125 sec., F4, ISO 1600, Auto white balance Auto Mode, 1/1000 sec., f/2.2, ISO 200, Shade white balance Wide-angle prime Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA Normal E 35mm F1.
A mode, 1/800 sec., F2.0, ISO 100, Auto white balance Auto mode, 1/1000 sec., F3.5, ISO 200, Auto white balance Mid-range telephoto E 50mm F1.8 OSS Macro E 30mm F3.5 Macro SEL50F18 Compact, lightweight mid-range telephoto prime with high-quality metal exterior Ideal for shooting stills or movies Bright F1.
M Mode, 1/40 sec., f/8.0, ISO 100, Incandescent white balance M Mode, 1/160 sec., f/11, ISO 200, Sunny white balance Wide-angle zoom E 10–18mm F4 OSS Mid-range zoom SEL1018 E PZ 16–50mm F3.5–5.
M mode, 1/320 sec., F4.5, ISO 200, Auto white balance, Vivid Creative Style; Photo: Yayoi Sawada A mode, 1/3200 sec., F5.6, -0.7 EV, ISO 200, Auto white balance; Photo: Chukyo Ozawa Mid-range zoom E 18–55mm F3.5–5.6 OSS High magnification zoom SEL1855 E 18–200mm F3.5–6.
A mode, 1/20 sec., F5, -0.3EV, ISO 800, Auto white balance Auto Mode, 1/200 sec., f/9.0, ISO 800, Sunny White Balance Telephoto zoom High magnification zoom E 18–200mm F3.5–6.3 OSS LE E 55–210mm F 4.5–6.3 OSS SEL18200LE Compact, lightweight 3.
Main specifications of a lenses Mount Category Zoom Lens Fixed Focal Length Lens A-mount Teleconverter Carl Zeiss Lens E-mount 70 E-Mount Lens Description Model name Lens configuration (group/element) 35mm equivalent focal length (APS-C)1 (mm) Angle of view (APS-C)1 Angle of view (35mm full-frame) No. of aperture blades Min. aperture (F-Stop) Max. magnification ratio (x) Min. focus (m) Distance encoder Filter dia. (mm) Hood shape/mount Dimensions: Dia. x L (mm) Dimensions: Dia.
a lens accessories Carl Zeiss® filter High-grade Carl Zeiss filters with exclusive T* coating optimize the superb performance of your lenses, effectively reducing flare and ghosting. A thin profile also prevents vignetting. Circular PL Filter ND Filter MC Protector Circular polarizing filters improve contrast in overly bright light, and remove glare and reflections. Neutral density filers attenuate light to allow a longer exposure or larger aperture than required, without affecting colors (type: ND8).