Sony SEL70350G E 70–350 mm F4.5–6.3 G OSS APS-C lens

[Kirkp]

I’ll start this thread as a place-holder for discussions solely about this new lens. So far it’s only available as preorder with an MRSP of $999.99.

Note that the 55-210 kit lens happens to have the same aperture range (f4.5-6.3), but I’m sure the SEL70350G will be much faster than f6.3 when set to 210mm, and will have much better optics.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/camera-lenses/sel70350g

The APS-C crop translates to a full frame equivalent of 105-525 mm.

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[Kiwi Paul]

It's not substantially smaller, lighter or cheaper than the Sony FE 70-300 G lens and the FE lens is F4.5-5.6 so a bit faster although not quite the same reach.

The 70-350 is 77 x 142 mm weighs 625 grams with a filter diameter of 67mm, f4.5 - 6.3 and £850 in the UK
The 70-300 is 84 x 144 mm weighs 854 grams with a filter diameter of 72mm, f4.5 - 5.6 and $1079 in the UK

So for anyone who is thinking of moving to full frame or who already has a full frame E mount body may be better off with the 70-300.
But if you are sticking with the crop sensor bodies with no intention of moving to full frame then the 70-350 is probably the better option due to the slightly smaller size, less weight and extra reach.

 

[Ad Dieleman]

Some very good points there, Paul.

 

[Kirkp]

Great points. But the 70-350 lens will be a little faster than 6.3 when set to 300mm, conceivably as low as 5.6, so the 70-300 may not really be any faster. The Sony page doesn’t yet list apertures at various focal lengths.

If I didn’t intend to go full frame in the near future I’d probably choose the 70-350 for the size and weight advantage. As they say, the best lens is the one you have with you, and I’m much more likely to carry a smaller and lighter rig on the trail.

 

[Richard Crowe]

I wonder if the size/cost savings in manufacturing a variable aperture lens with a maximum aperture on the long end of f/6.3 is considerable over manufacturing a variable aperture lens with an aperture of f/5.6 on the long end

IMO, an f/5.6 aperture would be considerably better because, when using a CPL with a lens of an f/6.3 aperture, the maximum aperture is reduced one stop bring it to an f/9 aperture. Many cameras, lose auto focus with lens that have a maximum aperture smaller than f/8. If the lens was manufactured with an f/5.6 aperture at the longest focal length, then the aperture would be reduced to f/8 (rather than f/9) at its longest focal length and thus allowing most cameras to auto focus.

I have always used APSC Sony cameras and thought that I would stick with that format. However, I got a good deal on a Sony A7iii and it arrived last night. I have not had the time or inclination to update the firmware of my new camera so I have not tested it yet. However, just looking through the viewfinder, the difference between the Crop Sensor and Full Frame sensor view is literally night and day, The view through the A7iii eye level viewfinder is much larger and appears brighter than the view through either the A6500 or the A6400. I can also read the shooting parameters a lot easier.

I am sold on full frame for that reason alone but, I will admit that the camera is heavier than my A6400/6500 cameras (but, lighter in weight than the Canon 6D2). I will be shooting with the A6400 and A7iii in tandem.

I mentioned the above because I am happy that I opted for a full frame telephoto zoom for my crop frame cameras, since I can now use the lens on my A7iii without resorting to super 35 format. I had no idea that I would go to full frame but, I am glad that most of my lenses were compatible with full frame cameras,

 

[Tipton]

The APS-C crop translates to a full frame equivalent of 105-525 mm.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it's an APSC lens designed for APSC cameras, so there is no crop factor. On full frame cameras, you either use crop mode or you get a big vignette.

 

[bdbits]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it's an APSC lens designed for APSC cameras, so there is no crop factor. On full frame cameras, you either use crop mode or you get a big vignette.

Well, sort of. At least, this is the way I see it.

When people talk about "crop factor" they are usually referencing the amount of the lens image circle that is being captured, or perhaps a better way to say it is the width of the field of view. If a full-frame lens has a field of view of let's say 120 degrees, an APS-C camera might only use 85 degrees (totally made up numbers here, in no way is this the actual math as I am not even sure how crop FOV is calculated). Conversely, when you have an APS-C lens, it might only be designed to project and acceptable image circle of 85 degrees. So when the full-frame camera sensor is behind it at the flange distance for that mount, everything outside of the 85 degrees degrades in performance, because that is how the lens is designed, and normally illumination will drop off causing the vignette. This performance drop-off is not always the case, which is why you can sometimes use an APS-C lens on a full-frame and get an acceptable result.

In reality, a 100mm focal length is a 100mm focal length. It's really not that the lens that has a crop factor (other than the intended size of the image circle), it's the camera sensor size relative to the projected image circle. All other factors being equal (which they never are and pixel density of the captured image may be significant), you would basically get the same result from a full-frame capture as APS-C if you simply cropped the full-frame image, ergo the term "crop factor". The focal length equivalency is just a handy way of thinking about the field of view you will get from the lens, so a 100mm lens on an A6500 would end up with roughly the same field of view as a 150mm lens on an A7iii.

I wish I could write a better explanation, but lenses are kinda complicated, at least for me. I am trying to be accurate so I tend to cite "but..." a lot. Sorry if that makes it harder to read.

 

[Kirkp]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it's an APSC lens designed for APSC cameras, so there is no crop factor. On full frame cameras, you either use crop mode or you get a big vignette.

When you use an APS-C camera, the smaller sensor always results in a crop factor relative to a full frame (35mm) camera. For Sony Alpha cameras, that crop factor is 1.5. Even though the 70-350mm lens was designed to only cover an APS-C sensor, the crop factor still applies. In other words, when you mount it on an APS-C camera, it will have the same field of view as a 105-525mm lens mounted on a full frame camera. Of course, it’s still a 70-350mm lens and won’t work on a full frame camera unless you crop it to the APS-C frame the lens was designed for. The term “crop factor” simply describes what happens to the field of view when using the same focal length (not necessarily the same lens) on a smaller frame.

 

[Richard Crowe]

Here is an illustration of Crop Factor. The image is designed to illustrate the differences between crop factor lenses and sensors and full frame lenses and sensors.

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The illustration is designed to illustrate crop factor sensors and the round image produced by full frame lenses and the round image produced by the APSC lens. They are the same. Look at what is included in the blue frame above on both the full frame sensor (image left) and the crop sensor (image right). There is no difference in what is included in the crop.
The total round image produced by the full frame and crop sensor lenses is the difference. The APSC and full frame lenses will produce the same subject size when used on APSC and Full Frame sensors. However, the APSC lens will not cover the entire image area of a full frame sensor unless that sensor is used in crop (super 35) mode which, in effect simply crops the sensor to APSC size... If you use a crop sensor on a full frame camera without reverting to Super 35mm you will get a round, fish-eye looking image in the center of the full frame sensor...

 

[Kirkp]

Sony provides a “35mm Equivalent Focal Length” for its APS-C lenses, which is a function of the crop factor.

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Here’s a good explainer:
https://photographylife.com/what-is-crop-factor

 

[Richard Crowe]

I sold my last Canon Lens today, the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II. I decided not to get either the 200-600 or 100-400 Sony lenses because of their size. I didn't use the Canon "L" lens that often because of its size and weight.
However, the new Sony 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 looks interesting from the point of view of being part of a lightweight kit on my A6500/
It doesn't weigh a great deal more than my Tamron 28-70mm yet has a greater reach than my 70-200mm f/4 G OSS.
I think that it might b a nice tandem on my A6500 along with the Tamron on my A7iii.

 

[DaveC]

Had been saving for the FE 70-300 lens for a while when this lens was announced. In the lead up to Christmas, my wife asked if I would like her to make up the difference between my savings and the cost of the lens. Given that opportunity I couldn't resist going for the SEL 70-350. Early days yet but I am enjoying the "reach" of the lens without the weight penalty of my old manual adapted Tamron 400mm.

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    350mm    f/14.0    1/640s    ISO 1000

This shot was taken at a range of about 200-250 metres, handheld.

 

[DaveC]

Taken from a few steps away from the previous shot, and about 50m further uphill

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    350mm    f/14.0    1/1000s    ISO 1000

and at about 60m

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    255mm    f/6.3    1/200s    ISO 1000

 

[DaveC]

Not very clear, but that is primarily due to smoke haze from distant bushfires.

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    70mm    f/16.0    1/2500s    ISO 1000

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    350mm    f/16.0    1/2500s    ISO 1000

 

[bdbits]

Sad situation with the fires down there. Hopefully those fires remain distant for you, Dave.

 

[DaveC]

Thanks Bob, they are over 150 miles from us, but several members of my extended family and family friends are in the regions affected.

 

[Richard Crowe]

We here in California wish all of you the very best... I know what fires are like having evacuated from my home two times...

 

[DaveC]

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    350mm    f/9.0    1/320s    ISO 200

 

[DaveC]

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    70mm    f/9.0    1/1250s    ISO 200

ILCE-6000    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    350mm    f/9.0    1/1250s    ISO 200

 

[Richard Crowe]

Molly in my yard...

ILCE-6600    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    291mm    f/6.3    1/800s    ISO 100

ILCE-6600    E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS    273mm    f/6.3    1/800s    ISO 100

It appears that even at f/6.3, I can get some separation between my subject and the background. These were both shot wide open and the quality appears pretty decent...