Category: review

Sony SEL24F14GM FE 24 mm f/1.4 GM

This is one of Sony’s very best full-frrame lenses.  It ranks at or near the top of the list in all categories — overall, sharpness, color, build, distortion and flare control.  Dyxum user ratings give it a five out of five in all these categories.

Sony’s blurb:

Unsparing application of leading-edge technology achieves refined G Master performance with consistently high resolution and soft, natural bokeh even at the widest F1.4 aperture setting.

See this lens at

Sony France

Sony USA

B&H

Adorama

Amazon

Professional Reviews

Dustin Abbott

Photography Life

Phillipe Reeve

Sample images

Sony SLT-A77V

I have had this excellent Single Lens Translucent crop-framed camera since 2014. It has served me well with both native Sony lens and high-end Minolta glass. I have used it for all kinds of photography modes — street, landscape, portrait, wildlife and macro photography. Some of my best shots have been taken with this camera paired with my Sony 55-300mm zoom lens, and Minolta 200mm f2.8 APO lens and my Minolta Smooth Trans Focus 135mm f2.8 (4.5) lens.

Professional Reviews

• • • Imaging Resource
    • DxOMark
    • Camera Labs

Sample images

• • • Geranium Bronze Butterfly
    • Speckled Wood Butterfly
    • Chaffinch in the Villa Ndio Garden

This lens is great. It is rated 4.98 out of 5.00 for sharpness by Dyxum (4.96 overall). It has a macro limiter and a built in retractible lens hood. The focus is fast and accurate. It is an a-mount lens that I use directly on my SLT-A77V and with an LA-EA4 adapter on my e-mount cameras A7R2 and A7R3a.

Here are some professional reviews:
Phillip Reeve
Dyxum
Imaging Resource

…and here are some sample images.
Photoposts; Click on an image to see a full-screen image and image details

Mosaic: Click on any image to enlarge it and to start a slide show.

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This is a very handy multipurpose zoom lens that provides good image quality and is relatively inexpensive. Great for travel if your gear capacity is limited.

Dyxum gives this lens a sharpness rating of only 4.29 and a user rating of only 4.40 (out of 5.00). My own experience has been better.

From Brian Smith’s Ultimate Lens Guide

Full-frame E-Mount telephoto zoom lens with the versatility to stretch from true wide-angle to super telephoto perspectives. Its advanced optical design includes 5 aspherical elements and 1 ED glass element for reduced chromatic and spherical aberrations in a compact design. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization facilitates sharper imaging in low light situations and when shooting at long telephoto lengths.

Professional reviews:

Dustin Abbott

Camera Labs

Ken Rockwell

Here are some sample images of my own.

Little Egret in Pegomas

I have always felt this lens is a bit under-rated. Its attributes — constant aperture, OSS, and useful range — belie its relatively low ratings (Dyxum 4.53 overall; 4.43 sharpness). I got some pretty good results with this lens on my A7R cameras.

Here is a description from Brian Smith’s Ultimate Guide:
Compact wide-angle to short telephoto zoom with constant f/4 aperture lens that remains fixed in length while zooming. Features one extra-low dispersion element and five aspherical elements to combat aberrations as well as a Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating to keep flare and ghosting to a minimum.

Professional reviews:

Dyxum

Philippe Reeve

Sample images:

Sony DT 55-300mm  f/4.5-5.6 SAM

I have had great success with this lens which I have owned and used often since 2007. It is an a-mount lens designed for cameras with crop-framed sensors. I use it on my Sony a7r cameras with a adapter.

(From Sony lens literature) From flattering portraits to faraway wildlife and fast-action sports, nearly every subject can be captured beautifully with the new SAL55300 telephoto zoom lens. Optimized for use with α A-mount camera models with APS-C sensors, the compact, stylishly-designed interchangeable lens is an ideal addition to the camera bag for any Sony photographer.

Reviews:

Photography Life

Camera Decision

Sample images:

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what a greeat lens!

Here is the Tamron official description:

“The Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model A056) is a large-aperture telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The greatest feature is its outstanding performance even while attaining a fast F/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range and offering the world’s lightest and most compact package with a filter diameter of 67mm, maximum diameter of 81mm, 149mm (5.9 in) length (at the 70mm setting) and a weight of 810g (28.6 oz). Thanks to the generous use of special lens elements, the 70-180mm F/2.8 achieves excellent image quality, and with the short MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 0.85m (33.5 in), it also broadens the possibilities for photographic expression. For enhanced AF drive efficiency, Tamron has newly developed the VXD (Voice-coil eXtreme-torque Drive), a linear motor focus mechanism that delivers excellent quietness and agile performance, thereby producing the highest level of autofocusing speed and precision in Tamron’s history. Additionally, a floating system is used to achieve excellent optical performance at all shooting distances. By simultaneously operating two VXD units via electronic control, the system produces clear and sharp images of all objects near and far. Moisture-Resistant Construction and Fluorine Coating are employed to facilitate outdoor shooting, and the lens is fully compatible with camera-specific features like Fast Hybrid AF. This remarkable 70-180mm F/2.8 is the third member of Tamron’s exciting trio of fast F/2.8 zoom lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras.”

…. and I have all three!

Here are links to a few reviews by professionals:

Dustin Abbott

Phillip Reeve

Dyxum

Here are some sample photos produced using this lens on one of my Sony A7R cameras. Click on an image to see a full-screen photopost and image details.