Sony's New Patent

[David Kilpatrick]

On a lens of this weight, the plastic mount is no problem. It's a really horrible bit of engineering all through but the good bit is the glass. Also, unlike other SAM lenses, you can manual focus this one without apparent risk to the mechanism, and over-ride AF.

I've tried it on a 36mm extension tube. The result is focusing so close the front element is in danger.

David

[Javelin]

Wow it's good to hear about the MF functionality. will DMF work on it? (this is the 30mm your talking about right?)

[bakubo]

The SAM is ultra noisy - worse than the earliest Canon micromotor lenses - and quite slow. It weighs nothing and is built to withstand, er, nothing.

Would you say the build is worse than the current Canon 50mm f1.8? That lens also has a garbage build. But, the Canon sells for less than $100.

[David Kilpatrick]

I have not read the instructions yet to see if I am abusing it, but the 30mm appears to have full time manual focus - DMF or not, even on the Alpha 550 which has no DMF setting.

The build is worse than the Canon 50mm f/1.8 and worse than the old 18-70mm kit Sony/KM. It looks OK but honestly, it is VERY basic indeed even for a Chinese lens.

David

[pakodominguez]

The build is worse than the Canon 50mm f/1.8 and worse than the old 18-70mm kit Sony/KM. It looks OK but honestly, it is VERY basic indeed even for a Chinese lens.

David

Like a Loreo "lens in a cap"
I hope is good quality plastic, but I'll be afraid of changing lenses all the time with this one...

[bfitzgerald]

I've not tried the 30mm macro DT lens.

I was deeply unimpressed build of the 50mm f1.8, it's cheap and nasty, and you'd have to think about handing over £50 for it, let alone what it retails for. If the macro is the same, even though the price isn't bad (ebay jobs etc), for a real macro, I'd have some concerns over long term use.

It's a testament to older good quality lenses, that I have many 25 year old ones, and they look as good as new, work perfectly. I know this time has passed, but there are nicer plastics and cheap bad nasty stuff. Sony seemed to have put a lot of effort into finding the cheapest plastics you could imagine. I'd add, the Canon 50mm f1.8 is a cheap lens, and it's not the greatest build, but ok I guess for the price. Sony have outdone themselves on their 50mm f1.8, it manages to be one of the worst build lenses I've ever seen, and yet it's more expensive than the Canon by some margin, and it retails for more than the Nikon f1.8, which is both FF and has a metal mount! Oh the joys of corporate stupidity.

[Javelin]

David does the 30mm have a plastic front element like some of the other DT lenses?

[Greg Beetham]

David, any idea about what market Sony is aiming this lens at? seems they have gone from one extreme to the other, they started out with creme da la creme very expensive f1.4, f1.2 135mm, 85mmm Zeiss FF primes along with an APS-C A100 way back when..plus some good KM hold overs, to this sort of product (bypassing the mid range it seems)....I don't get it.
They also built some expensive Zeiss and G zooms that were always on the heavy side as well. I kept wondering when they would produce some nice mid range lenses in the f4 class, (still good performers optically and mechanically and not too heavy or expensive for travel photogaphy, or even your average Joe), but it looks like they have side stepped that and gone to this idea instead...lenses good optically, but doggy doo everywhere else...What is Sony DOING? and why are they doing it?
Greg

[bfitzgerald]

They're doing it probably to try to make some sales, and possibly at the expense of ebay Minolta lenses.

I watched a video about the new Sony DSLR's entry wise, and one part our old pal Toru was saying that many entry users don't buy lenses, they just keep the kit one. So they decided to make some "affordable" ones. Obviously they are trying to make the most profit they can by using low quality plastics.

I've really no idea of lens price margins, or production costs. But I'd say Sony are just trying to squeeze even more out of them cash wise, and they are not hesitating to cut down on costs. Even more so than Canikon.

I'd agree about f4 lenses, and add to that a number of affordable primes. I've no problems with plastic, but you can only cut down so far, before you start to put folks off. I can't imagine anyone being impressed with the build of the 50mm f1.8, in fact it's even scored low on dyxum..2's etc. As it is, I'd stay well clear of them myself, ebay is just fine for my needs.

[Greg Beetham]

Yes that sounds about right, I guess, Sony is thinking of the budding SLR photographer with these lenses, but a 30mm macro for one, is a fairly special purpose lens intended for use with extension tubes or an extender to get the most from it, and Sony don't even make any of those items, let alone an auto bellows. And what about macro lighting? what have they got there? the hanicapped Minolta Macro flash system..handicapped courtesy of Sony, another debacle brought to a Macro opportunity near you by none other than...TA DA!...SONY.
The only other macro light they have is that horribly expensive Led ring light...I can't see too many new enthusiasts getting interested in that at the price they have it at...even if it was useful for something (apart from photographing stamps), which I doubt.
Even disregarding the above as a put off....why would anyone (including me), who otherwise might have wanted one, want to buy a lens that sounds like a cane harvester? and moves at about the same pace? the mind boggles....
Imho the budding macro photographer would be far more likely to want a zoom lens that can do close up work as well, something like my MD35-70 f3.5 that had the macro button on the zoom collar (a great little lens), why doesn't Sony bring out something useful like that?
Greg

[pakodominguez]

...
Even disregarding the above as a put off....why would anyone (including me), who otherwise might have wanted one, want to buy a lens that sounds like a cane harvester? and moves at about the same pace? the mind boggles....
Imho the budding macro photographer would be far more likely to want a zoom lens that can do close up work as well, something like my MD35-70 f3.5 that had the macro button on the zoom collar (a great little lens), why doesn't Sony bring out something useful like that?
Greg

Greg and Barry: you are over reacting on a lens you haven't tried.

This is a friend's gallery with this lens: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbphoto/ ... 756997778/

The lens is plastic but it is good plastic, the plastic mount is a little bit scary but the glass is really good and it is a real macro not a "close focus" like the 35-70, the beercan or other lenses, and it is mean for technical work on an APS format camera, replacing the 50mm f2.8 Macro, and it is a good "normal" lens too. And it focus way faster than the 50mm and 100mm "better built" Macros. Hey! it is a 180 US$ lens!

If the 30mm Macro were full frame, I already bough one. Or the 55-200 or the new kit lens, all really good performers on a plastic barrel. But I just don't buy DT lenses, specially because Sony doesn't allow us to override the auto-crop on the A850/A900.

@Barry: the "new" 50mm f1.8 Nikon is plastic too 9but not the mount, that's true) and clients at Adorama hunt into the used department for second hand's lenses that they pay even more that the new one just in order to not having a "made in China" lens. I got one for free for a friend of mine, they were about to put it on the garbage because the AF mechanism broke and it doesn't worthwhile to repair it. Same goes with the Canon 50mm macro, that a friend of mine have: first time I saw it I though it was a joke...

After all, the lens makers spend most of their time trying to build less expensive lenses, not "better" lenses...

Regards

[bfitzgerald]

Gregg, you are working off the basis that the Alpha team and the main man himself "Toru", actually have a strong grip on what people want. I don't think I am being unfair to suggest that they are not in tune with the needs and desires of users, and that is why they are IMO suffering a beating from rivals.

Nothing is ever perfect, but as time goes on, the excuses given for Sony and some serious misjudgements..becomes far less convincing. I've no idea about the 30mm f2.8 macro, honestly I would think a 35mm FF f1.8/f2 would have been far more appealing to users.

I'm not really into macro much at this moment, but even I can see the mistakes being made. The ring light is really erm, of not a lot of interest to A mount users I know.

Until Sony fire Toru and his team, I don't have an awful lot of confidence with what goes on Alpha wise right now.

With regards Pakodominguez, I've not made any comments on the 30mm macro, I'm just wondering if it's the same poor build of the 50mm, and it appears that is the case. UK retail the lens is £150 odd, not that pricey, but around $230.
It's too slow to be a good normal lens, that's why some are looking for at least an f2 35mm

[Greg Beetham]

Well if you say so Pako, but David said the thing made a lot of noise when it focussed, in any case I don't actually use the AF focus on my macro lens (or hardly ever), I usually preset the extension and just move the camera until the subject is sharp. But that's not what most beginners would do....the rare few that would even buy such a lens, that is.
Greg

ps. Just caught your reply before posting Barry, and yes I've been saying the same thing for ages, that there is a need for a good affordable prime for the APS-C format (30 or 35mm f1.8 or f2), but they could make it in FF, that way you kill two birds with the one stone so to speak.

[David Kilpatrick]

The instruction say you must not focus or touch the ring when AF is on. So I won't - but I have to say it appears to focus perfectly smoothly without any strain when the entire camersa is switched off. It is not quite the same as the SAM 18-55mm which has a focus ring than can not be shifted at all until set to MF on the lens.

David

[Javelin]

is the instruction sheet a generic one for a bunch of lenses like Minolta used to do? Thinking maybe they overlooked the leaflet when they (if they) changed the focus ring design