Sony Announces E-Mount 20mm f/2.8 Pancake Prime Lens for NEX Cameras

[Yohan]

Sony Announces E-Mount 20mm f/2.8 Pancake Prime Lens for NEX Cameras

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Press Release:

New 20mm f/2.8 “pancake” lens and Video-friendly 18-200mm f/3.5 – f/6.3 “Power Zoom” lens extend creative possibilities

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 22, 2013 – Sony is expanding its popular E-mount camera system with the addition of two new lenses compatible with all α E-Mount cameras and semi-professional camcorders.

New 20mm F2.8 ‘pancake’ wide angle lens (model SEL20F28)

When mounted on any Sony α E-Mount camera, the sharp new SEL20F28 ”pancake” lens creates an exceptionally versatile, portable package ideal for a broad range of everyday shooting opportunities ranging from interiors to landscapes, street photography, casual snapshots and more.

The new lens features an ultra-slim design approximately 20mm from lens front to back, and with its wide angle of view (30mm on 35mm equivalent) and bright F2.8 aperture, it produces excellent contrast, resolution and clarity across the frame for both still image and full HD video shooting.

New 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Powered Telephoto Zoom Lens (model SELP18200)

Originally offered only as a kit lens for the new NEX-VG30 camcorder introduced this past fall, the new SELP18200 powered telephoto zoom lens will now be available for purchase as a stand-alone lens.

Designed for serious videographers, the high-quality lens offers a generous 11x magnification range and whisper-quiet power zoom mechanics, focusing and aperture operation. This allows for smooth cinematic transitions when adjusting zoom level or manual settings during shooting. It features a comfortably positioned zoom lever that works with a switch on the lens barrel, allowing zoom speed to be selected in three different steps – from slow, beautiful shifts in perspective to dramatic crash-zoom effects. Zoom can also be controlled directly from compatible NEX-VG900, NEX-VG30 and NEX-FS700 (requires firmware update) video cameras.

The new lens also has built-in Optical SteadyShot™, which cuts the effects of camera shake and minimizes camera blur while shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. Additionally, Active Mode further enhances stabilization at the wide end of the 11x zoom range ensuring smooth, stable footage even if the shooter is in motion.

While the new SELP18200 lens is optimized for video, it’s also a flexible choice for shooting still photography – from expansive landscapes to high impact close-ups of wildlife or athletes – with Sony’s α E-Mount range of interchangeable lens still cameras.

Sony α E-mount lens family expansion

These new models expand the Sony E-mount family to 13 native E-mount lenses plus two converters, covering virtually any shooting situation for photographers and videographers alike.

Spanning ultra-wide angle, powerful telezoom, macro and fast, bright primes, the range includes premium optics by Sony and Carl Zeiss, and offers refined performance and easy handling throughout the line.

Pricing and Availability

The new E 20mm F2.8 (SEL20F28) wide-angle prime lens will be available this April for about $350.

The new E PZ18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS (SELP18200) motorized telezoom lens will be available this March for about $1200.

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The pricing on the pancake is aggressive. It'll make a great compact kit with any NEX camera.

The pricing on the megazoom, not that I'll buy one, makes me scratch my head.

 

[Jefenator]

Wow - didn't see that one coming. I could go for a nice, sharp pancake!

 

[quezra]

I presume this is the "snap" lens that was announced on the old roadmap from 2011? I'm perfectly happy with the Sigma 19/2.8 which is much cheaper, but I wonder if this will be PDAF capable? Sony have been awful slow rolling out the PDAF updates for their E lenses.

Edit: I'd have hoped for a budget 23 or 24mm, this is too close to the Sigma to get excited about

 

[Bimjo]

I suspect they'll sell a bunch of these, but if it's sharp across across the frame they may be hard to find for awhile as the enthusiasts will snatch them up once the word gets out.

 

[quezra]

If it means they'll stop buying up the 35/1.8 I don't mind a bit

 

[nianys]

First, I yawned (the Sigma will be cheaper no doubt and has a well earned reputation). Then I SAW the lens and wow, what a cool looking pancake. 35mm walk-around option, sleek and sexy, if they price it right it'll sell like hotcakes...

 

[Yohan]

I'd have hoped for a budget 23 or 24mm, this is too close to the Sigma to get excited about

Its performance measured against Sigma 19mm f2.8 will be key. Yes, it appears thinner and will make the camera even more compact. But more buyers will opt for the cheaper and proven Sigma 19mm if the Sony 20mm isn't close in performance.

 

[Mattithjah]

I know, it si for micro 4/3, but why SONY did not release something like Panasonic 20/1,7??
20/2,8 is too slow for interior... At least 20/2 would be interesting lens for APS-C sensors.

 

[Jefenator]

First, I yawned (the Sigma will be cheaper no doubt and has a well earned reputation). Then I SAW the lens and wow, what a cool looking pancake. 35mm walk-around option, sleek and sexy, if they price it right it'll sell like hotcakes...

Alas, it sounds like it's going to be $100 more than Canon's 22mm pancake, which is somehow also a stop faster. All I can say is, it had better be a good optical performer.

If that is the case, it would indeed be cool to see my N7's jacket pocket potential finally realized. (But I've got to say, the Sigma is still a definite contender - that extra $250 would also fit very nicely in my pocket. )

 

[scinkk]

Its performance measured against Sigma 19mm f2.8 will be key. Yes, it appears thinner and will make the camera even more compact. But more buyers will opt for the cheaper and proven Sigma 19mm if the Sony 20mm isn't close in performance.

hm I agree

 

[Frank Teurlings]

For me it is only important that the optically better than e.g. the Sigma 19 mm and that is already a whole kluif for Sony. The Sigma lens is also delicious compactly built so that is good.

 

[Ad Dieleman]

The Sony 20mm is obviously meant to make the NEX more or less pocketable and turn it into a streetshooter's delight, can't see any other rationale for this lens. I don't care for pocketable because I always use a bag so I'm not even remotely interested in something that is not faster, just not as wide and twice as expensive as the Sigma 19/2.8. And it'll have a hard time beating the Sigma in performance. Next, please.

 

[quezra]

I doubt it can be "better" than the Sigma in terms of sharpness, since the Sigma already outresolves the 16mp sensor and performs brilliantly by all accounts on the 24mp sensor too. If it is a software corrected lens its basically finished. The only thing it might do is better oof rendering or faster AF, but I doubt you will get a ton of improvement there either.

 

[Poki]

It may not be for everyone. There's the Sigma 19mm for these who want cheap, and there's the Zeiss 24mm for these who want fast - the 20mm is for these who want (jacket) pocketable. More lens options are never bad, are they?

 

[olli]

I assume this is intended as a replacement for the 16mm which Sony are currently giving away. The UWA zoom has 16mm covered so there seems little point in replicating it. This lens is also sufficiently different from the Zeiss 24 that it won't eat into its sales while also filling the gap a little between UWA and the 35mm.

Makes a lot of sense from Sony's point of view but for anyone with the Sigma 19mm (like me) makes no sense at all. However good the IQ it will not be sufficiently better than the Sigma to justify the price. The only reason to prefer this over the Sigma is size, and only then if you are obsessive about size.

I'll give this one a miss and continue to wait for the G standard zoom and the mid tele prime later this year.

 

[Jefenator]

It does make more sense as a replacement for the 16mm. 20mm makes more sense as a walkabout prime IMHO.

 

[Mattithjah]

...and it is possible that there will be new UWA in future, something like 12 F4 or so, which replace 16 F2,8 with its converters...

 

[scinkk]

yee a good 12 mm pancake is my dream

 

[Poki]

yee a good 12 mm pancake is my dream

A good, cheap, small uwa pancake? I can't imagine such a thing could exist. Again: Good. Cheap. Pancake. Pick two.

And for UWAs - I don't even think a bigger cheap one would be that good. f/4 is too slow for astrophotography (or plainly said 'night landscapes'), and a good f/2.8 12mm lens will always cost its price. I'll gladly wait for the Zeiss lens to arrive.

 

[scinkk]

Right so no pancake but something smaller than UWA zoom and maybe cheaper SEL16F28 with convertor is solution meantime