Sony 50mm f/1.4 Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

Product Description

An ultra-bright standard lens for fast, accurate shooting by available light. For quick candid shots that capture the decisive moment, this lens provides superb clarity and visual accuracy even with fully open aperture when working indoors or in low-light and twilight conditions. Mounted on the Sony DSLR-A100 camera, this lens provides midrange telephoto 75mm focal length (35mm equivalent) and takes advantage of the in-camera Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization system to minimize blur from shaky hands. Focal Length 35mm Equivalent - 50 mm Min Focus Distance - 1 feet 6 inches (45 cm) Aperture Maximum - f1.4 Aperture Minimum - f22 Maximum Magnification - 0.15x Lens Construction - 7 elements in 6 groups with 7 aperture blades Filter Diameter - 55 mm Dimensions - 2 9/16 x 1 11/16 inch (65.5 x 43 mm) Weight - 7 3/4 ounces (220 grams)

Customer Reviews:

Great investment.......2007-11-14

I bought this lens because I needed a "portrait" lens for my K/M 7D when my Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 EX "Pro" lens took a dump on me. The lens hasn't been dropped or anything like that (that I'm aware of) but it suddenly is always out of focus and won't focus at infinity at all ... but that's a problem for the Sigma people, so I digress.

In need of a good "portrait" length lens for my 7D I opted for this Sony 50 f/1.4. I'd had a Maxxum 50 f/1.4 years ago but had gotten rid of it shortly after getting a zoom lens. Big mistake. In any case, because my Sigma lens mentioned above was in need of repair and I had a portrait shoot coming up, I got this lens and I must say it's been a worthwhile investment.

Wide open the lens is tack sharp at point-of-focus. Stopped down between f/2.8 and f/4, doing head and shoulder shots of an average-sized adult the lens provides fantastic portraits ... nice contrast, beautiful color and of course very sharp with beautifully de-focused backgrounds.

I shoot a lot of film with Medium format Mamiyas (RZ67 and 7II) and have very high expectations for image quality. With the purchase of this 50 f/1.4 I realized I've been compromising image quality on my 35mm cameras (film and digital) by using "off brand" lenses like Tokina and Sigma. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Tokina and Sigma make flat-out junk. Just that I didn't realize that the image quality could be better in my 35mm cameras.

Up to now I'd thought that the sensor in the K/M 7D was just mediocre. And, I'm sure that some would say it still is. But, I'm here to tell you that this 50 f/1.4 proved to me that the problems I've thought were all in the body were in actuality all in the lenses.

I'm in the process of replacing all my off-brand "Pro" lenses with Sony/Minolta and Sony/Zeiss lenses. Today (14Nov07) I purchased a Sony 16mm f/2.8 lens (SAL-16F28) to replace my 17mm Tokina lens. The Tokina lens just doesn't cut it when it comes to image sharpness and resolution. I'm hoping this 16mm will perform on-par with my 50 f/1.4. If it does then the next step is a Sony/Zeiss 85 f/1.4 and eventually a Sony/Minolta 80-200 f/2.8 (to replace my Tokina 80-200 f/2.8 ATX PRO).

I know some people aren't as critical as I may be about image sharpness, resolution and contrast. And for those people I say ... to each his own. But, my experience and expectations are very high and I feel there is no reason to compromise. Spend the extra money and buy the best glass you can ... because it does make a difference.

Sony is doing a good job with SLR.......2007-07-09

I bought this lens a while ago and have used it a lot, mainly doing portrait shots. I must say it surprised me, it's better that I had hoped. It's very bright, delivering clear and sharp pictures with great colors. I must say that compared to the Canon lenses of similar class, the Sony lens comes out victorious. I really think that the guys at Sony are doing a great job with their SLR camera.
(P.s. I'm not working for Sony or anything like that, I'm just really happy with my lens :)

Lens with impact and sweet-sweet bokeh!.......2007-01-10

I received this lens as a Christmas present and I have been very pleased with it. I of course had to try a head-to-head with my 85mm f1.4 to see how the bokeh compared. It was close, very close to being a draw. I was floored by the buttery smoothness of the 50/1.4's bokeh.

I was also surprised to find that at f1.4 the lens was pleasantly sharp with soft and suttle blurring melting away from the sharp point of focus. I had expected it to be f2 or higher for such sharpness and detail. At f8 - f11 it is just absolutely brilliant!

From my experience with this lens (and 85/1.4) I am now drooling for a 35mm f1.4 G! I am so hoping for a Sony full-frame to truely exploit the full potential of this lens - but I digress.

If you have a KM/Min 50/1.7 (and I do) you will find the f1.4 version is significantly better in bokeh and detail. The plus comes in with this being a "D" lens so it has the ADI flash advantage.

If you you do not have a 50mm lens then this is what you are looking for and you will not be disapointed.

Very good low light portrait or sports lens.......2006-08-03

This Sony update of the Konica-Minolta 50mm f1.4 will be a welcome addition to anyone wishing to shoot low-light candids or close sports photos.

Although the Sony A100 offers and anti-shake system, a large aperture lens has a few distinct advantages. First, sports photos require fast shutter speeds to stop action. While the AS system might allow you to hold a camera steady, such slow shutter speeds will blur sports action photos (or the 3 year old running around the house).

The larger aperture, more than 4x more light than any zoom for the Alpha, also gets more light to the focusing system. This allows both faster and more accurate focusing.

Another advantage is an increased flash range. Each aperture larger increases your maximum flash range 40%.

For many, another improvement will be the shallow depth of field (putting more background out of focus). Used wisely, this can really make some photos "pop".

The slight drawback is that this is a great 35mm focal length, but a rather odd on on the Alpha. It's a bit long for a "normal" lens, and a bit short for a portrait lens.

Product Description

The 50 mm Ultravids achieve a richness in contrast and brilliance that, up until now, has been hard to achieve, even with a larger objective lens. The 12x magnification allows for great detail recognition over long distances. Beyond that, this high-performance binocular features exceptional 3.25 m close focusing.

Cheap Consumer Electronics:

Cheap Consumer Electronics List

Cheap Consumer Electronics