nifty fifty

Sony Unveils 50mm f/1.8 and 70-300mm G OSS Full Frame Lenses

March 31, 2016 By Eric Reagan

Sony has unveiled a pair of new full frame lenses – the FE 50mm f/1.8 lens and the FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G OSS lens.

The new 50mm f/1.8 lens isn’t quite in the “nifty fifty” price range of others, but it still isn’t too expensive at just $248. It has a 7-blade aperture and a nice, large manual focus ring for better control. It also features a 49mm filter thread. The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 lens will ship in May 2016 and is available for pre-order here at B&H Photo.

The new 70-300mm lens adds to Sony’s G line and features built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, two ED glass elements, four aspherical elements and a Nano AR coating to reduce ghosting and flare. It also features a 9-blade circular aperture and a 72mm filter thread. It has a minimum focusing distance of 3′ and a focus limiter for faster AF when shooting beyond three meters.

Priced at $1198, the Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G OSS lens will ship in May 2016 and is available for pre-order here at B&H Photo.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Now Shipping

May 21, 2015 By Eric Reagan

B&H has the new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens in stock and now shipping for $125. In case you missed the announcement earlier this month, this is the new “nifty fifty.” Check it out here at B&H Photo.

My card was just charged for my pre-order of the lens. So, hopefully, I’ll have mine in hand in a couple days to pass along results and impressions.

Canon’s New “Nifty Fifty” EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens Unveiled

May 11, 2015 By Eric Reagan

Canon has unveiled its new nifty fifty lens – the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens at the same $125 price point of the old nifty fifty.

With an EF lens mount, the new lens supports both full frame and APS-C format Canon DSLRs and EOS Cinema Cameras. The new STM focusing motor should provide faster AF for still images and will also support Movie Servo AF on more recent Canon DSLRs.

The lens construction features a metal lens mount and a larger focusing ring than its predecessor. Additionally, it has optimized lens coatings to suppress lens flare and ghosting. The new lens features a rounded 7-blade diaphragm and a 14-inch minimum focus distance. The front filter diameter is 49mm.

The new lens will be compatible with the Canon ES-68 lens hood.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is expected to ship May 21 for $125. Check it out here at B&H Photo.

New Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Leaks Out

May 6, 2015 By Eric Reagan

It looks like the new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens has leaked out ahead of the official announcement. Previously, we had seen rumors and another image of the lens but this one comes from a the reliable Digi-came.info site, which quite frequently has official images and details a few days ahead of the product launch.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Specs

Lens design: 6 elements in 5 groups
Full frame lens
The lens coating is optimized for the digital
Stepping motor (STM)
Full-time manual focus
Length: 39.3mm
Weight: 160g

Look for an official announcement soon.

Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN First Look Review

April 11, 2012 By Eric Reagan

The Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN is the closest thing to a “fast 50” that we can get right now for Sony’s NEX models in the native E-mount. I’ve been playing with it for a couple of days and, in short, I think it’s a nice complement to the 18-55mm kit lens. At $199, it’s certainly a lens that NEX owners should consider adding to their kit. [Read more…]