Sony Adds Budget 50mm f1.8 Prime and 70-300mm Telephoto to FE Lineup

Last week, alongside the new Sony RX10 III, Sony also announced two new full-frame lenses – a budget 50mm f1.8 and a 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G telephoto with image stabilisation. This is good news for shooters who are new to the Sony Alpha 7 mirrorless line-up and want to pickup some native glass, but don’t want to pay the moon to get started. The new 50mm F1.8 prime lens is extremely compact, lightweight and affordably priced, making it an ideal choice for those looking to explore the benefits of a large aperture prime lens at a reasonable cost. Canon may have their “nifty fifty” and now Sony is adding their own version. The new Sony FE 50mm f1.8 weighs just 192 grams/7 oz, and will make for a great starter lens.

Sony FE 50mm 1.8 full frame lens

Sony FE 50mm f1.8 Features

  • E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.8 to f/22
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Double-Gauss Optical Design
  • DC Autofocus Motor
  • Rounded Seven-Blade Diaphragm

“We’re continuing to build out our FE lens lineup, offering more variety than ever for today’s imaging enthusiasts,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics.  “Representing two of the most requested focal lengths by our customers, the new 70-300mm zoom and 50 F1.8mm prime become ideal choices for those looking to expand and enhance their Sony α kits.

Screen Shot 2016-04-04 at 18.48.37

The other lens that Sony announced is a full-frame 70-300mm F4.5-F5.6 G OSS zoom lens represents the first Sony α E-mount lens to reach a 300mm focal length, featuring high resolution and excellent overall optical performance throughout the entirety of its range.

SonyFE 70-300mm

Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS Features

  • A Nano AR Coating has been applied to reduce surface reflections, flare, and ghosting for increased contrast and more accurate colour rendering.
  • Four aspherical elements pair with two extra-low dispersion elements to minimize both spherical and chromatic aberrations throughout the zoom range for sharper, clearer imagery.
  • Covers full-frame but can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 105-450mm equivalent focal length range.
  • Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
  • A linear actuator offers fast, precise, smooth, and silent autofocus performance that is ideal for video applications as well as stills shooting.
  • An internal focusing design helps to quicken focusing speeds as well as maintain the overall length of the lens when focusing for more intuitive handling.
  • A dedicated AF/MF switch lets you quickly switch between auto and manual focusing methods.
  • Focus range limiter lets you constrain the usable focusing range to either 9.8′ to infinity or the full range of 3′ to infinity.
  • Focus hold button can be used to stop the autofocus system when more control over focusing on a particular subject is desired.
  • Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.
  • Dust- and moisture-resistant construction benefits working in harsh environments.

Also, for those who want to learn more about the new Sony RX10 III 4K 1-inch camera, check out B&H’s First Look below:

The 70-300mm may not be a fast lens, but it does have Optical Steady Shot. As far as pricing – the 50mm f1.8 is priced at $248 at B&H, while the 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G OSS is starting at $1,198. Both lenses are scheduled to ship in early May.

Pre-order links below:

via SonyAlphaRumors

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