Not a small lens (almost 2 pounds and 4.5″ x 3.5″), but it’s super-fast, super-sharp, and produces very smooth bokeh. The only E-mount lens with the Planar design is the 50mm f/1.4. Yet another Zeiss design and perhaps the oldest (dating back to the late 19th century), the Planar lenses allow fast apertures and increase sharpness all around. The increase in size & price may be worth it if the wide aperture and superb quality is what you need. This lens design is relatively heavy and complex compared to other lenses of a similar focal length, but these extra design elements reduce aberrations and increase sharpness from edge to edge. The Distagon design is specific to wide-angle lenses. My favorite wide-angle zoom, the 16-35mm f/4, is a Vario-Tessar design. The “Vario” prefix is used to indicate a zoom lens. The maximum aperture you’ll find on these lenses is f/4. They allow for a relatively compact grouping with good quality at a reasonable price. “Tessar” refers to another lens design developed by Zeiss engineers in the early 20th century. Improve your photography with more tips like this delivered to your inbox monthly - click here (opens new window). When you see Batis on a lens it means that it is a fast prime lens, has dust and weatherproofing, all of the bells and whistles of lens construction to make the image pop, and has a digital focus scale readout on the lens.īatis lenses are specifically designed for high-resolution sensors, which require lenses with equally high resolution. Zeiss Batis lenses are the newest premium prime lenses for Sony Alpha full-frame mirrorless cameras like the a7 III and a9. This coating reduces what’s known as “flare” and “ghosting” – those nasty artifacts scattered throughout the lens when pointed towards a bright point of light. The Sony T* means that the front element of these lenses is covered in a proprietary anti-reflective coating developed by Zeiss. The T* is another designation you’ll find on all Zeiss lenses. The various Zeiss lens designs are explained below.While you’ll see “ZA” in the full name of the lens, the short name will just have “Z” at the end – the 24-70mm f/4 ZA has the short designation of “SEL2470Z”. Though not manufactured by Zeiss, these lenses have all been approved by and meet Zeiss’ high standards for quality lenses. You’ll see ZA towards the end of any lens designation featuring Zeiss design elements. That knowledge should simplify things a tad. So, all of those designators are associated with the fact that it’s a Zeiss design. Sony manufactures a line of lenses using designs & technology licensed by Zeiss, a world-renowned optics company.Īll Zeiss lenses will feature the design of the lens (Sonnar, Planar, etc), ZA, and T*. Check Sony G and GM lens pricing comparisons at B&H Photo. The lens elements reduce aberrations even further, increase sharpness even more, and have better anti-reflective coatings. They’re also more durable, improving resistance to dust and water. These lenses have been designed to focus faster in order to keep up with Sony’s increasingly fast focusing technology. GM, or “Gold Master” lenses are an improvement on the G lenses and can be physically differentiated with a white G on an orange square. The Gold Master lenses have superseded the G line as the premium Sony Alpha mirrorless lenses. You can identify the “G” lenses by a white G on a black square. Fast, constant apertures improve low-light performance and produce smooth bokeh. These lenses feature high-quality materials that reduce aberrations and increase sharpness. The Gold line of lenses was Sony’s first premium line for Sony Alpha cameras. Sony’s first line of premium lenses was the G with a white G on a black background G What’s the difference between Sony G vs GM lenses? Sony’s top-of-the-line lenses are its Gold and Gold Master series lenses. When mounted on a full-frame camera, the camera will enter “APS-C” mode and reduce the capture area on the sensor to account for the smaller rear lens element. It’s designed for the APS-C sensor cameras like the a6x00 line. EĪn “E” without the “F” means it’s not designed for Full-frame cameras but you can still mount them on a full-frame camera. The Sony “FE” means that the lens is designed for the full-frame Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras, like anything in the a7 line.įull-frame lenses can be used with APS-C cameras like the a6000 but the focal length will be increased by a factor of 1.5x. The SAL1118 won’t work without an adapter because it indicates the A-mount. You’ll see “SEL” in the beginning of the short designation of any lens designed for mirrorless cameras.įor example, “SEL1018F4” is a 10-18mm f/4 lens that will work on any Sony Alpha mirrorless camera.
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