NEX -- Why only 2 e-mount lenses?

[twm47099]

Just an observation -- When Minolta introduced the 7000AF camera they also introduced 12 lenses. They were a mix of 6 primes (24 to 300mm), 5 zooms including the 70-210 beercan and a 50 mm macro along with a full suite of accessories. They later added to that generation of lenses with the big beercan, 100mm macro and maybe some others.

When Minolta introduced the 7xi camera they also introduced 5 xi zoom lenses (since xi primes wouldn't have offered anything).

I don't know how many Vectis lenses were introduced with the camera but I believe it covered the full range of zooms and the 400 RF lens.

I wouldn't think that e-mount would require as many lenses as the 7000AF (particularly not the 300mm f/2., but it seems somewhat strange that there are only 2 with one more zoom announced. Also from what I read and examples I've seen the 2 lenses don't appear to be outstanding examples of optical quality and have very limited focal length range.

Why? Possible reasons:

1. Sony really believes that the NEX is for P&S shooters just looking for some improvement?

2. Sony's not sure how successful the NEX concept will be and is hedging their bets?

3. They intended that existing a-mount SSM/SAM (& screwdrive??) lenses would AF and would fill much of the gap until they could determined if NEX would be successful (sort of a part of number 2), but then they were unable to make AF work and it was too late and too expensive to add other lenses to the mix?

4. Or maybe everyone will go out and buy the 135 STF since its manual focus anyway ?

Any better insight, and any idea what the implications might be?

tom

[redsim74]

I think it was solely to get them out the door and into consumers hands - ie buying - as quickly as possible. Give people a basic kit and a wide prime, tease with a super zoom and then let the rest of the lens line-up follow.

[Birma]

IMHO - mainly #1 with some #3.

[alphaomega]

twm47099, here is an article that may answer some of your questions if indeed it can be relied on for accuracy:
http://eoshd.com/content.php?183-Sony-N ... -September
If these predictions are true Sony are set to develop aggressively both the Alpha DSLR and E-mount lines with a heavy emphasis on video. Even sensor and lens design seem now to be heavily influenced by the video function requirements.

[David Kilpatrick]

Sony believes NEX is 90% for P&S upgraders, 10% as a second camera for DSLR owners. They may have no more lenses to offer at all. The idea is to keep it very simple (but provide lots of little addon extras which don't require technical knowledge).

They have, in any case, five clear lens offerings in the line up. The 16mm f/2.8 is a convertible lens, which accepts two very neat pocketable wide angle converters - 0.75X true wide angle (=12mm) and 0.62X full frame fisheye (=10mm). Both retain the f/2.8 aperture and the focusing range, my guess is that being afocal converters the focus may even be closer. They only cost £100 and £120 respectively, and with the 16mm at only £200, that's just £420 for your "16mm fisheye, 18mm wide-angle and 24mm wide angle" gear in full frame equivalents.

I think they will introduce something like the 30mm macro, and the 50mm f/1.8, in NEX form.

David

[Dusty]

Minolta had a full line of MD mount lenses that they could easily adapt to alpha mount. The NEX line-up needs new optics for 'native' lenses. Adapting the alpha mount lenses gives them a bit of leeway in not having to do a whole set of 'native' lenses until the line takes off.

Dusty

[KevinBarrett]

I don't think the NEX system needs more lenses at all. What it REALLY needs is more lens adapters! With a flange distance of just 18mm, every under-valued lens on ebay is just waiting to be adapted.

[bossel]

I'd say the choice of a 16mm prime + wide angle converter is surprising. Ceratinly Sony has done it for a reason, maybe to seduce all those who found that their 35mm or 38mm P&S is not wide enough. For me,16mm is too wide. Give me a 30 or 35mm F2 to convince me. And oh, btw, somewhere they quoted $800 for the 18-200 OSS - cough cough choke

[twm47099]

Minolta had a full line of MD mount lenses that they could easily adapt to alpha mount. The NEX line-up needs new optics for 'native' lenses. Adapting the alpha mount lenses gives them a bit of leeway in not having to do a whole set of 'native' lenses until the line takes off.

Dusty

I think that was part of my option 3, in that Sony wanted a-mount lenses to be more compatible so there would be that leeway.

tom

[twm47099]

I don't think the NEX system needs more lenses at all. What it REALLY needs is more lens adapters! With a flange distance of just 18mm, every under-valued lens on ebay is just waiting to be adapted.

I agree, and maybe its an MD lovers dream come true. I'd like to see what Pete Ganzel comes up with (NEX T/S lens adapter???). But for those who want AF a bit of a disappointment.

tom

[twm47099]

I'd say the choice of a 16mm prime + wide angle converter is surprising. Ceratinly Sony has done it for a reason, maybe to seduce all those who found that their 35mm or 38mm P&S is not wide enough. For me,16mm is too wide. Give me a 30 or 35mm F2 to convince me. And oh, btw, somewhere they quoted $800 for the 18-200 OSS - cough cough choke

It may be as David mentioned that they are trying hard for the P&S upgraders. Maybe a NEX-7 will be more DSLR user oriented (I guess we'll be reading a lot of 'what's taking Sony so long to release the 7' posts on the other site.)

David's comments about the add on lenses for the 16mm are interesting, but I wonder why they didn't have slightly longer FL lens (in the range of 28 - 35 mm FF equivalent) with 2 wide angle adapters. The 16 seems too short for general purpose shots (David's overall party shot showed a good use), but I don't think it would be too good for shooting couples or small groups of people (dog nose effect from having to get too close). That would mean the user would have to swap lenses at the party (exposing the sensor to dust, pop, chips and dip). (A P&S upgrader might not even change lenses and then have some interesting shots for facebook.) Where a longer lens would have only required putting on the add-on wide angle lens (no exposed sensor) when taking overall shots. Am I missing something?

tom

[bfitzgerald]

The 16mm doesn't look that strong as it is..slapping a WA converter on it's only going to hurt it more.
Nobody really expects 20+ lenses for these type of cameras, but it's pretty clear the pancake aspect is very much part of the appeal.

[Jasper_D]

I'd say the choice of a 16mm prime + wide angle converter is surprising. Ceratinly Sony has done it for a reason, maybe to seduce all those who found that their 35mm or 38mm P&S is not wide enough. For me,16mm is too wide. Give me a 30 or 35mm F2 to convince me. And oh, btw, somewhere they quoted $800 for the 18-200 OSS - cough cough choke

Even a bit more over here:
https://www.sonystyle-europe.com:443/So ... Objectifs/

[bakubo]

They have, in any case, five clear lens offerings in the line up. The 16mm f/2.8 is a convertible lens, which accepts two very neat pocketable wide angle converters - 0.75X true wide angle (=12mm) and 0.62X full frame fisheye (=10mm). Both retain the f/2.8 aperture and the focusing range, my guess is that being afocal converters the focus may even be closer. They only cost £100 and £120 respectively, and with the 16mm at only £200, that's just £420 for your "16mm fisheye, 18mm wide-angle and 24mm wide angle" gear in full frame equivalents.

Maybe they should also add a 1.4x converter to give a 34mm (50mm fov) f2.8. With a 24mm fov and a 50mm fov that would be pretty useful and very small and pocketable. Would a 1.4x converter be large?

[David Kilpatrick]

Yes, a rear 1.4X converter would be interesting - 22.4mm f/4. The central zone of the 16mm is exceptionally sharp and would probably take enlargement. Of more potential interest, and possible because of the short back focus distance, would be a rear X0.66 converter as used for film/video cameras to reduce 35mm lenses to work on 16mm.

Such a converter would take full-frame Alpha lenses, and reduce the field to APS-C, while increasing the maximum aperture (the reverse of a tele converter). The 50mm f/1.4 would become a remarkable 30mm f/1 lens for the NEX. My guess is that if they did this, the contrast-detect AF would cease to be a problem. Imagine the 70-200mm SSM - it would become a 46-132mm f/2. Even a standard kit lens like the 24-105mm f/3.5-4.5 would become a 16-70mm f/2.6-3.2.

David