I just got an email about this New Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Lens for the E-Mount cameras and wow! We needed this lens in the line-up and it has been a long time coming! We recently got the FE 85mm f/1.4 GM Lens which I just reviewed on my youtube channel here >> and now the fallow-up 50mm f/1.4 lens. Not a GM lens though, but rather a Zeiss Planer designed unit. That is totally fine be me, and lets check out the specifics of this lens in more detail.
The price is $1498 US which is far from cheap, but not as crazy as some other lenses in the Sony line-up. F/1.4 costs a lot of money when you put a Zeiss badge on it, and this lens should produce stellar results based on the Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens we all know and love 🙂 A different optical design, but the Zeiss badge usually holds up to the hype, unless your talking about the sub par FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA Lens which I recently reviewed again here >> Other than that lens, I have had nothing but great results from the Zeiss badge in my experience, so I really look forward to testing out this new 50mm. I particular like that focal length on the full frame format cameras as well. It seams to fit my style and eye for composition really well I have noticed over the years…
Key Features:
- E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
- Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
- APS-C Effective Focal Length = 7
- One AA Element & One Aspherical Element
- One Extra-Low Dispersion Element
- Zeiss T* Anti-Reflective Coating
- Ring Drive Super Sonic Wave AF Motor
- AF/MF Switch; Internal Focus
- Physical Aperture Ring; De-Click Switch
- Dust- & Moisture-Resistant Construction
- Eleven-Blade Circular Diaphragm
- Minimum Focus Distance = 1.48′ / 45 cm
- Filter Thread = 72mm
- Weight = 1.71 lb / 776 g
- Price = $1498 US @ BHPhoto | Amazon
- My Review >>
Lens Product Photos and Charts:
Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Lens – Sample Photos
Breakdown courtesy of BHPhoto:
With its normal perspective, fast maximum aperture, and high-end design, the Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Lens from Sony is easy to see as a go-to standard optic for full-frame E-mount shooters. Starting off with the fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, photographers and videographers will enjoy exceptional low-light performance along with the ability to create shallow depth-of field effects. The Zeiss Planar optical design benefits users by providing an almost distortion-free image, while the incorporation of one Advanced Aspherical, one aspherical, and one extra-low dispersion element work to minimize spherical and chromatic aberrations. On top of that, the legendary Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating combats flare and ghosting for crisp, clear imagery.
Performance is top notch as well with speedy autofocus provided by a ring drive Super Sonic Wave Motor (SSM) system. An AF/MF switch is provided for quickly changing between the modes and an internal focus design maintains overall lens length during use. A physical aperture ring is present on the lens which can be de-clicked at the flip of a switch, making this a great option for video in addition to stills. An eleven-blade circular diaphragm further improves image quality by ensuring smooth bokeh at a wide range of aperture settings. Additionally, a dust and moisture-resistant construction will keep you working even in less than ideal environments.
– Based on the Zeiss Planar optical concept, this lens works with a 12-element in 9-group design that helps to reduce spherical aberration and distortion for a flat image plane.
-A normal-length prime designed for full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras, this 50mm f/1.4 is also compatible with APS-C models where it will provide a 75mm equivalent focal length.
– Fast f/1.4 maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and also offers a wealth of control over focus position when using shallow depth of field techniques.
– Zeiss T* anti-reflective coatings have been applied to each lens surface to help minimize reflections in order to provide greater image clarity, contrast, and color fidelity.
– One AA and one aspherical element are incorporated into the optical design for effective control over astigmatism, field curvature, coma, and other spherical aberrations.
– One extra-low dispersion element is featured in the lens design to help reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing for improved clarity and color neutrality.
– A ring drive SSM system and internal focus mechanism provides quick, quiet, and precise autofocus performance and also contributes to more natural, intuitive manual focus control.
-Manual aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth, silent aperture switching to benefit video applications.
– Rounded 11-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when employing selective focus techniques.
– Dust- and moisture-sealed design better permits working in inclement conditions and rubberized control rings benefit handling in colder temperatures.
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Closing Remarks:
Exciting news and I hope to get this lens for review ASAP. Please feel free to ask questions and comment below as always!
Jay
- Buy now for $1498 US @ BHPhoto | Amazon
- My Review >>
