12/14/2023 0 Comments Sony 50mm 2.8 macro![]() It almost needs a fourth setting of, say, 16cm-20cm, which would help significantly when you know you are shooting at the minimum range of the lens. This means it doesn’t cut down on the time it takes to focus. Shifting the length of this range looking for focus takes around three seconds. The limiter is great if you want to focus beyond 30cm, but for use from 16cm-30cm it doesn’t offer much of an advantage. The focus limiter on the side of the lens has three different settings: Full Range, 30cm to infinity and 16cm to 30cm. You could just about say that the focus snaps at this range. ![]() At distances of 1m to infinity it is a lot faster, as it has less work to do in terms of shifting lens elements around. It is occasionally prone to hunting at closer distances, as macro lenses often are, but if you wait patiently it does get there.Īs a general 50mm lens, the focusing is far better. Autofocusing from around 60cm to infinity on the original Alpha 7R takes just under one second, while from the minimum focusing distance to infinity takes nearer three seconds. Not surprisingly, this means autofocus can be rather slow. Unlike most modern macro lenses, the FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro doesn’t use internal focusing instead, the lens barrel extends hugely on focusing closer. ![]() There are no silent piezo electric stepping motors here, just good old-fashioned motors that whirr away steadily and methodically to get your subject in accurate focus. It suddenly sounds like you’re stepping back a decade in terms of technology. The first thing you notice when using the lens is the noise and pedestrian speed of the AF motor. Manually fine-tuning is easy, especially with 100% magnification. Electronic focusing isn’t always the best option when it comes to focusing macro images, but I found that the 50mm f/2.8 didn’t present any difficulty once you have the subject roughly in focus. As with all Sony FE lenses, the 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens uses electronic fly-by-wire focusing, with a thinly ribbed manual-focus ring at the end of the lens. ![]() There are a few controls on the lens itself, namely an AF/MF switch, a focus limiter and what looks like an AF on button, but is actually an AF lock button. It combines well with the Alpha 7-series cameras, and feels pleasingly in scale with the camera. It has a solid metal body and mount, but it measures just 70.8x71mm in size and weighs only 236g. Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro review: Build and handlingĪt £500, we expect a decent build quality, and the FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro doesn’t disappoint. Those with the second-generation Alpha 7-series cameras needn’t worry so much, as these have in-camera sensor-based stabilisation, which should give more flexibility to shoot handheld.Īs an interesting aside, as the majority of Sony’s new cameras have sensor-based stabilisation, it is perhaps a chance for the company to introduce more of these affordable lenses without need for the additional expense associated with optically stabilised lenses. It should be noted that the lens isn’t optically stabilised, so owners of the first generation of Alpha 7-series cameras will need to keep an eye on shutter speeds and make sure the camera and lens are held steady when shooting macro images. There are seven circular aperture blades for that all-important smooth out-of-focus area, which is even more important when shooting macro images, and it has a 55mm filter thread. More importantly, it offers 1:1 macro at a minimum focus distance of 16cm. Its 50mm focal length offers a 47° angle of view on full-frame E-mount cameras. Optically, the lens is constructed of eight elements in seven groups, and has an aperture range of between f/2.8 and f/16. With the emphasis on affordability and price, the Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens is something of a no-frills affair in terms of its feature set. The FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens may be cheaper, lighter and smaller, but just how good are the images it produces, and is it destined to become a favourite among Sony Alpha 7 series owners? Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro review: Features Crucially, at around £500, it is some £450 cheaper than Sony’s other FE macro lens, the FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro. Now there is another 50mm lens, this time with an f/2.8 maximum aperture and the ability to capture 1:1 macro images. Costing nearly £250, this lens is still around £100 more expensive than its Canon and Nikon DSLR counterparts, but it is a step in the right direction. It started with the FE 50mm f/1.8, which we reviewed (and quite liked). After listening to the feedback from its users, Sony has gradually been increasing the number of affordable lenses in its FE line-up for full-frame Alpha 7 models.
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