Sony has had a busy start to the year expanding its lens line-up, and following the superb but pricey FE 35mm F1.4 GM and FE 50mm F1.2 GM, it has now announced a series of more affordable ultra-compact primes. The Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G, FE 40mm F2.5 G and FE 50mm F2.5 G all feature a design philosophy that bears a certain resemblance to Sigma’s I-series lenses, boasting an aperture ring and premium aluminium construction.
Sony’s new compact primes are designed for full-frame cameras such as the Alpha 7C
Sony says the aim is to provide high optical quality in a compact, lightweight design, along with superb build quality and excellent operability. All three lenses are exactly the same size, at 60mm in diameter and 45mm in length, with weights varying from 162g to 174g. They feature selectable clicked or clickless aperture ring operation, an AF/MF switch, and a focus hold button on the side of the dust- and moisture-resistant barrel. Dual linear motors are used to drive the internal focus mechanism, with Sony promising responsive subject tracking along with quiet focusing for movie shooters. An aluminium hood is supplied in the box, and all three lenses accept 49mm filters.
The three lenses are all exactly the same size, and weigh less than 175g each. Left to right: 24mm, 40mm and 50mm
Optically, the 24mm f/2.8 employs 8 elements in 7 groups, including three aspherical lenses and an extra-low dispersion (ED) glass element to suppress optical aberrations. Meanwhile the 40mm f/2.5 includes three aspherical elements in its 9-element, 9-group formula, while the 50mm f/2.5 also uses 9 elements in 9 groups, but with two being aspherical and one made from ED glass. Minimum focus distances are 24cm for the 24mm, 28cm for the 40mm, and 35cm for the 50mm.
All three lenses are due to go on sale in April, for £630 each.
