go for 55-200 SAM!!!
its super bang for buck!!!
my previous post (bird photo) is taken by that lens

another 55-200 SAM shot

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Added on March 25, 2012, 12:09 amwent photoshooting with fellow Sony-ians...
Flash-mily meeting...F42 F43 F58

behind the schenes


This post has been edited by NutZ748: Mar 25 2012, 12:09 AM

look at these camera... ppl dont go concert to enjoy concert anymore, they go there to photograph.

(zstan, u mean gear stripping?)

are you a video user? if u shoot video a lot or seriously plan to shoot with tele effect (snipe)... u only have one choice, the 55-200 SAM. (before someone shoot with with 70300 USD, lacus did mention "almost the same price range".

the tamron is good too. sharp, F4 till 135mm(if i recall)

do u do a lot indoor shooting over dinner/outing/events? the 55mm starting is a lot friendlier to use indoor, as its wide enough to shoot group of 3 ppl a table away compare to 70mm. also, the 300 is kinda, not highly advised due to indoor = low light = easier prone to have blur photo from shake, the 200 is more then enough.

If u do a lot outdoor, do not video at all, the tamron70300 is good for daytime. and highly recommended too.

I finally got the grand master of bokeh - the Sony 135mm F2.8/T4.5 Smooth Transition Focus! This is the undisputed king of rendering a smooth, clean and undistracting out-of-focus area.


The STF is physically a 135mm F2.8 lens, but because of the apodization filter inside that darkens the periphery of the lens, it effectively lets in as much light as a F4.5 lens. Hence the T4.5 suffix (T for effective light Transmission).

Also, the lens is manual focus only - which makes it the only Minolta/Sony A-mount lens that is manual focus. The reason why is because the apodization filter causes a graduation coming from opposite ends, making it impossible for phase-detect AF to work. I've explained this in another blog post.

You can tell immediately that the lens is the STF from the back, from the cross-shaped AF screw drive screw (it stops the AF screw drive from turning) and only 5 pins.

The only Sony lenses with 5 pins are:
1) Sony 16mm F2.8 Diagonal Fisheye
2) Sony 20mm F2.8
3) Sony 28mm F2.8
4) Sony 135mm F2.8/T4.5 Smooth Transition Focus
5) Sony 500mm F8 Reflex

There shouldn't be any reason why any of these lenses don't get a Distance Integration chip, other than Sony not having the resources or time to migrate them from their Minolta versions.

Interestingly, SSM lenses have a flat screw with a small circle inside, although its purpose is the same - to stop the AF screw drive from turning.

This lens is on the end of every A-mount user's wishlist - meaning you'd get every other lens you wanted, before this one. It is such a luxury (not that it is expensive) but it is such an optional want-to-have instead of a must-have. It doesn't help that it's manual-focus only and doesn't transmit much. I wonder if they could've made a 85mm F1.4 with the same apodization filter, which would bring it down to 85mm F1.4/T2.2!


Normal lenses will draw out-of-focus areas with a hard, solid brush (quite like the Photoshop screenshot on the left.) The STF, however, paints out-of-focus areas with a soft, shaded brush (on the right.)


So here's one from the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8, set to F2.8, on the A900...


...and one from the Sony 135mm F2.8/T4.5 Smooth Transition Focus, set to F2.8/T4.5, on the A900. The difference in rendition should be obvious!

You might also notice that the STF gives a tighter angle-of-view - this is because it extends when focusing, while the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 has an internal focus mechanism. Internal focus mechanisms tend to make the angle-of-view wider as it focuses closer - thus the only time the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 is truly 135mm is when it is focused at infinity.

It focuses to 87cm close with a maximum magnification of 1:4x - interestingly, the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 also does a maximum magnification of 1:4x, but when focused to 72cm close (obviously, due to the wider angle-of-view.)

The STF also uniquely has 2 sets of aperture blades - it uses the set of 10 blades in manual aperture control mode, from T4.5 to T6.7 (stepless, but with clicks), or the set of 9 blades when set to A (auto). However, I have not tested this extensively as I have had no reason to stop down the lens!


Meanwhile, this is from the Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 at F1.8. I think you should be able to tell the difference between the STF and any other lens by now.


The background just melts into creamy goodness here.


You can try to put a distracting background, and it smoothens out nevertheless!


How about some harsh sunlight?


Magic hour. Here, the shading of the out-of-focus highlights is obvious. Also, the lens is remarkably free of cats-eye bokeh - where out-of-focus areas on the side become cats-eye shaped instead of perfectly round circles. This might be because the lens is much bigger in diameter compared to a regular 135mm F2.8.

This post has been edited by albnok: Mar 25 2012, 05:32 PM

Another street shot. Many would say that T4.5 is unliveable but I would not fear high ISO and a competent RAW processor!


I have to admit, I haven't been shooting much street photography with a telephoto.


In the right kind of light, it can still get by!


Another indoor shot.


I have always had a shot like this in my mind - I just need to find more appropriate locations.


And then, I took it out in bright daylight...


Congratulations Syazwan (signither) and Nadiah!


Unfortunately, as the bush on the right was at the same distance to me as they were, it was in sharp focus. Photoshop CS5.5's Content-Aware Fill is magical, yes, but it didn't work so well for this!

This would be the day debut of this lens.


The classic Minolta color is all there.


Note how the sky peeking through the trees is not distracting.


By distracting, I mean like this - this was shot with a Minolta 50mm F1.7. So you see what I mean by bad bokeh? That sharp outline, around out-of-focus highlights, is called brightline bokeh.

e-jump: Whoa on #10!

50 mm 2.8 is it gooding or not? for portrait, street photography and macro?

Awesome review of the STF. Hope to see more shots soon!

The STF level of creamy indeed looks like an F4 bokeh even at F2.8.
I'm still not quite understand on the apodization filter thinge. The STF at F2.8 still gathers the same amount of light as 135F1.8@F2.8, and only OOF rendition are softened by the filter?


Anyway.
#13

Amaimon x Pheles by e-jump, on Flickr
85ZA with tianya ND8 in the middle of noon


#14

DSC09577-3 by e-jump, on Flickr
85ZA with TianYa ND8

#15

Shibuya Crossing panorama by e-jump, on Flickr
3shot stiched . FAIL composition as the top of building got chopped off

nope.. the shutter speed for the STF at f2.8 would be much slower compared to Zeiss at the same aperture..assuming ISO is fixed..

Thanks for the reply. Decided already. Can lend yours to play around ar

or you can choose 18-270mm pzd more better. 1 lens shoot all (general purpose la)

Harga beza banyak bang....

1 lens is below 1k range, another is near 2k range =,=

Anyone know where to get Rokinon's A-Mount lenses in Malaysia ?

Rokinon - Samyang rebranded in Malaysia.

Ohh and I'm quite curious about the standard of pricing for the products, the price for buying in the origin country is still the same right ?

E.g. > A77 made in Thailand and buying there.

A77 made in Thailand and branded under Sony.

So, pricing wise, Sony likely to control it to a similar pricing.

You buy from Thailand, no warranty in Malaysia for what?

I've fixed the link in my first posting to the blog post about why the STF is MF only.

Gmruleme:

50mm on full frame gives a very natural angle of view, neither wide nor tele.

30mm on APS-C gives nearly the same angle of view.

Both of these - the natural angle of view - are very nice for close-ups. A shorter focal length means you don't need to stop down the aperture so much to get everything in focus.

Telephoto macro lenses however are better for insects.

Some people think portraits need telephotos but portraits can also be environmental, meaning they involve the background as well, or tell a story as to what the person does.

Thus:
50mm on FF/30mm on APS-C good for environmental portraits, street, product macro/closeups
50mm on APS-C good for portraits, street
90mm on FF/APS-C onwards good for portraits, street, insect macro

e-jump: No, the apodization filter is like a ND filter, on the sides.

The STF at F2.8/T4.5 gathers the same amount of light as the Zeiss 135mm F1.8 at F4.5.
The STF at F2.8/T4.5 has the same depth of field as the Zeiss 135mm F1.8 at F2.8.

Wah, is it cosplay everyday there?

This post has been edited by albnok: Mar 25 2012, 05:42 PM

Guys I have a question.

Lets say you have a receiver with a base like this and a light stand like this. How do you connect the flash trigger to the light stand? If you say you use this, how to connect the trigger to the holder? Help please.

This post has been edited by Newbieeeeee: Mar 25 2012, 06:35 PM

i just give suggestion for long term invest