FS7: The Sony 18-110mm cine zoom

For me, compared to the Zeiss, Sigma and Angie offerings, this lens is more interesting for use on my FS7, simply because it has image stabilisation.

I just don't shoot handheld HD/4K without it. But we've had this conversation before.

I've shot stuff I'm quite happy with on the 18-105. This looks ergonomically superior and it's the lens many of us having been banging on about for the past 2 years - look forward to seeing some reviews.

Ben.
 
Just back from IBC, the saw the 18-110 and the zeiss 21-100 both feel good. Sony has more to offer, IS, AF and a bigger range, nice feture, the rotation of the focusring can be clockwise or anti-clockwise, (Canon VS Nikkor users). Will upload some pictures.
 
Not as far I could see. All functions can be don manually or auto. One of the lenses showed on an A7 had a follow focus.

Zoom, focus and aperture all manually or auto.

The Zeiss lens shifted from T2,9 to T3,9 but that went so smooth according the salesperson that is almost not noticeable.

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According technician from Sony this lens has no distortion, but some details might be lost in translation, the guy didn't speak English so it was translated by a marketing guy.
 
This looks like a really great event/corporate/doc lens and it ticks most of the boxes - parfocal, IS, and manual controls. F4 is to be expected...because it's not a $20,000 15lb Angenieux. With the FS7's ISO of 2000, you can get away with F4 in a lot of situations.

Would I shoot a high end commercial with it? No, but for run and gun this is great. I've been using the Sigma 24-105 and having to refocus every time you zoom because it's not parfocal can mean missing shots during events.
 
I can see this being a standard go to lens for doc style shooting in which case ultra low DOF is not necessarily a plus. For better or worse though I imagine I will still have standing by my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 with speed booster for low light light doc situations, and maybe even the 70-200 and 11-16. Covers a lot of bases. right now that lens has sometimes been the Sony 18-200 but that lens has lots of negatives - very slow and not the greatest IQ. It still has greater range, but maybe with clear scan it becomes superfluous.
Hope the price on the Sony is absurdly cheap as I'm broke after not working first 6 months of the year.
 
The price here is 3500 dollar. (But Hamburgers are sold here for 14 euro and 4 euro outside the Fair) I am afraid the Sony will not be 1000 euro in this perspective.
 
So its about $1000 more than the 28-135. Still not a bad price at all if its sharp, has decent manual focusing and hopefully a smooth ramp on the zoom control.
 
The scoop from Sony on focus. Manual zoom, as I said, is completely mechanical. Manual focus will still be fly by wire. It will be significantly better than the 18-105 because the throw will be longer. But with a higher torque motor, Sony maintains that focus will be smooth and precise. In fact, their contention is that fly by wire creates a lens much less in need of maintenance than purely mechanical devices. At any rate, as soon as I get my hands on one I'll give an impartial opinion. They didn't have a lens at Sony Park Ridge when I was there this week. Perhaps someone who is at IBC could let us know if one is on the Sony stand.

The question is always one of value. I would very likely buy one. I do like my 28-135 but I think this would work better for me. First $2000 takes my 28-135! If the 18-110 doesn't work for you, find the solution that does work. I would love to own those Angenieux EZ-1 and EZ-2 lenses but I will not get ROI on them.

It has been quite a week in the lens department!

Ned Soltz
 
Ben Scott said:
What?

No it bloody isn't.
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Let's say it hits the most marks for a lot of people, and certainly for me. AF, IS, range, communication with camera, metadata etc. No need for an adapter. The Zeiss and Canon don't have that. And let the Germans compare the image quality. :engel017:
 
Publimix said:
Let's say it hits the most marks for a lot of people, and certainly for me. AF, IS, range, communication with camera, metadata etc. No need for an adapter. The Zeiss and Canon don't have that. And let the Germans compare the image quality. :engel017:
Click to expand...


It's Zeiss.
With Zeiss optics and coatings and image quality
With Zeiss Cine mechanics
With mechanical iris and focus and no ridiculous electronics
It's PL Mount or other mount so can be used on everything. You can have it in E mount if you like then change it.
You won't lose money on it after 2 years
It will still be in use in 20 years

Plus it's Zeiss. :)

Hitting a lot of marks for a lot of people too.
 
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Just read the news shooter hands on and it says it stays par focal with the help of the auto focus mechanism. Well that sounds pretty strange to me so I'll have to find out what that means. After all who cares if your par focal if you're on auto focus? Does it somehow make use of that to stay parfopcal when you're in manual...? Beats me. That would be helpful.
 
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