Incredibly, just two months after the company’s last announcement, Sony has two more lenses to add to its full-frame mirrorless E-mount lineup: a classic, fast FE 50mm f/1.8 prime and a high-performance FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS zoom. Both of these lenses further improve the number of options available to entry-level shooters and more demanding photographers.
Starting with the classic, Sony has finally brought a true 50mm lens to its full-frame line for users desiring a normal perspective in a lightweight, compact design. This lens features a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture and seven-blade circular diaphragm for smooth bokeh and it has one aspherical element to help reduce spherical aberrations throughout the aperture range. It is also equipped with an autofocus motor and manual focus ring for more tactile control. Additionally, when used on APS-C format cameras, it has a 75mm equivalent focal length.
Combined with the RX10 III announcement today, Sony seems to be reaching for faraway subjects, with the FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS. This high-resolution optic covers an expansive telephoto range and features a linear actuator motor and Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. For eliminating aberrations and distortion throughout the zoom range, the lens has two ED glass elements and four aspherical elements, and a Nano AR coating has also been applied to reduce ghosting and lens flare.
This lens can focus as closely as 3' with 0.31x maximum magnification, in a dust- and moisture-resistant configuration. When used on APS-C cameras, it has an even longer equivalent reach of 105-450mm. The lens has a variety of physical controls, including dedicated switches for AF/MF and Optical SteadyShot, as well as a focus range limiter switch and a focus hold button on the side of the barrel for additional control during operation.