Zeiss and G lenses ready for
full frame 24.6 megapixels
T
he Sony Alpha 900 – though specification, costing £1,200 retail
this name is said to be not and incorporating a Super Sonic
the correct one – is expected Motor focusing mechanism (SSM)
to be launched later this year. which is fast and near silent.

Sony has announced details of It takes 77mm filters and weighs
the image sensor to be used almost one kilo, focusing close
in the new full-frame digital enough for 0.25X size reproduction. It
camera. It is a 24.6 megapixel has a circular iris with 9 blades, and
CMOS type, putting Sony in the lead uses 17 elements in 13 groups. With
ovr Canon whose £5,000+ 1Ds T* coating to handle the challenge of
MkIII has a 21 megapixel sensor. this complexity, it produces a good
This does not mean that the contrast without any tendency to flare.
Sony camera, seen here in its The second full-frame lens to be
latest restyled form (compare to launched does not carry the Zeiss
the pictures shown as ‘Alpha 500’ label, but the Minolta-style G designa-
in the Summer 2007 issue), will be tion meaning a superior design. It is
more expensive than the Canon. the Sony SAL 70-300mm ƒ4-5.6
Expected US prices are around G SSM, and as you will guess, it also
$3,000-$3,500 for the body only. uses a sonic motor. This lens is the
We can expect this to translate long-awaited replacement for the
into £2,000-£2,500 including VAT 100-300mm Apo macro, and also
for the body in the UK. However, looks like keeping enthusiasts for
this is based only on rumours the original ‘beercan’ AF 70-210mm
leaked by European journalists. and 75-300mm models happy with
No other details of the ‘900’ its mainly metal construction.
are known except that it will It takes 62mm filters, focuses
incorporate SSS anti-shake,despite down to 1.2m (though internal
the sensor being a full 24 x 36mm focusing means this does not
size. Additional space has been The new look for the forthcoming ‘flagship’ DSLR – now known to have a 24.6 produce a larger image scale than the
allowed in the camera body to megapixel full frame sensor – has been improved with more rounded lines to the 75-300mm ƒ4.5-5.6 SAL) and weighs
fit the stabilising carriage. prism. a comfortable 760g. The 75-300mm
The sensor itself will have 12-bit is only 460g, which may indicate how
A to D, and a maximum readout of much more glass and how much more
6.3 frames per second in full frame robust a mount the G-series uses.
mode. This probably means an actual This lens is already being
shooting speed more like 4 frames a offered for sale at £699 retail with
second. There will also be cropped some shops down to £599, but
modes possible, probably including deliveries are not scheduled into
1.4X or 2X factor views, which may well into May, and Sony Japan has
mean faster sequence shooting. reported a worldwide shortage
Nikon is already thought to be will be inevitable as orders exceed
using the sensor for a model known their capacity to produce it.
as the D3X, which might appear on We have placed an advance order
the market before the new Sony. for a 70-300mm, which will mean
New full-frame lenses are now appear- selling any other tele zooms short of
ing in the shops, starting with two zooms. the 70-200mm ƒ2.8 G SSM to pay for
it. The theory is that this lens proves
Zeiss and G
to be so good it replaces the need for
any other long lenses in daily use.
The first, already on sale and being The SAL 70-300mm
used by Alpha owners with superb ƒ4-5.6 G SSM will be
What’s next?
results, is the Carl Zeiss SAL available in shops
24-70mm ƒ2.8 ZA SSM. This lens from May, with a Tamron has announced the develop-
was predicted right from the Alpha recommended price of ment of a 10-24mm ƒ2.8-4 ultrawide
100 launch in 2006 because its name £699. This may seem for the 1.5X digital format. Sony has
appeared on a screen of information. a lot for a tele zoom, made no announcement of anything
What was not known was how but with Super Sonic similar, but we suspect it will appear
ambitious the lens would be in quality Motor focusing and in Sony garb. And more full-frame
and size. It is a very substantial the G label, it should lenses are on the way for certain.
lens, like the Nikon with the same be the best ever made. Á
photoworld 4
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