Three new lenses were recently announced for the Sony E-Mount Cameras. One fast full frame wide angle prime from Sony and two completely different zoom lenses from Tamron… One being a fast wide angle zoom for the APS-C crop factor cameras and the other a super telephoto zoom for the full frame cameras! Lets break these new lenses down shall we…
NEW – Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM Lens
First we have a super fast crazy wide Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens which is retailing currently at a eyebrow lifting $1600 US. Being a top of the line GM badged lens, the new 14mm f/1.8 features all. the latest and greatest technology Sony is currently using. For starters we have the Nano AR II and Fluorine Lens Coatings for maximum glare control, punchy contrast, and lens protection. It also features two XA Elements and a Super ED Element, along with a XD Linear Focus Motor.
In addition it has a physical Aperture Ring that can be de-clicked, plus a rounded nine-blade aperture diaphragm, and weather sealing. For filter options, you are looking at a Gel Filter in the rear. The lens also has a nice 9.8″ or 25cm minimum focus distance, which will allow you to get very close to your subjects. Weighing in at only 1 LB or 460 grams, this lens is a lot lighter and smaller than I thought it would be!
NEW – Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens
Moving on to the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens we have another extreme wide angle zoom lens with a very fast f/2.8 constant aperture. However, this lens is made for the APS-C sensor sized cameras, which means it will yield an effective 17-30mm range. The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens is going for a fairly modest $830 US considering the constant f/2.8 aperture and just how sharp this series of lens has been so far. For example, I already reviewed the Tamron 17-28mm and the 28-75mm (Click Here). I also reviewed the Tamron 70-180mm vs the 28-200mm lenses (Click Here). I was very impressed with all these newer Tamron lenses and you can see for yourself in the reviews just how well they perform.
The new Tamron is about $70 US cheaper than the Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS Lens, which I reviewed (Click Here), and it has a f/2.8 constant aperture! However, it does not have stabilization built in which you may or may not require. Honestly, for an ultra wide angle I find I don’t require stabilization as often, although its certainly a killer feature don’t get me wrong.
The Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens features lots of high quality lens elements, weather sealed construction, BBAR-G2 Lens Coating, 67mm filter thread, a 7-blade rounded aperture diaphragm, A rapid eXtra Silent Stepping AF Motor, and weighs in at a very reasonable 11.8 oz / 335 g.
NEW – Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens
Lastly we have the new 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens which is a direct competitor to the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens which I reviewed (Click Here).
Coming in at $1400 US this new Tamron is about $600 US cheaper than the Sony, but it does lack bit of reach compared to the Sony and has a slower max aperture. It does weigh a bit less than the Sony at 4.2 pounds as apposed to 4.65 pounds however. Similar to the Sony, the new Tamron really packs a lot of features including lens stabilization with 3 modes, weather sealing, a VXD eXtreme AF Motor, Rounded 7-blade aperture diaphragm, 82mm filter thread, the BBAR-G2/ Fluorine lens coatings, and plenty of manual controls. It also features the lens color mount which I really wish the Sony 200-600mm lens had.
Closing Remarks
That is about it for this lens news article, but I would love to hear your thoughts on these new E-mount lenses!! Which one are you interested in most?
Also, don’t forget to check out my regularly updated E-Mount Lens Guides This Way >>
All the best, Jay
