Macro lenses not often change the best way you shoot, however this one pushes previous life-size and retains autofocus. If you would like cleaner close-ups, steadier handheld outcomes, and extra management over depth, check out this feature.
Coming to you from Gordon Laing, this sensible video walks via the brand new Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM lens and exhibits what 1.4:1 appears like in the true world. Working distance stays snug at roughly 9 cm from the entrance at most magnification, so that you keep away from casting shadows or startling a dwelling topic. Autofocus stays reliable on the minimal focus, and DMF offers you a fast nudge to put the important airplane. The main target limiter affords full, infinity–0.5 m, and 0.26–0.7 m ranges to chop searching at shut vary.
Laing exhibits how the lens behaves within the area, not simply on a bench. Nook sharpness improves whenever you cease down barely at macro distances, whereas middle element is already crisp large open. You additionally see the efficient aperture change up shut, the place f/2.8 behaves nearer to f/5.6 for publicity, which impacts your ISO picks. Handheld clips profit from optical stabilization within the lens plus in-body stabilization, which steadies small actions that will in any other case wobble a composition. Steady AF holds on as you progress from portrait distance towards minimal focus, supplied you retain a small AF space on the precise function that issues, like an insect’s eye.
Key Specs
Focal Size: 100mm
Aperture: Most f/2.8, Minimal f/22
Lens Mount: Sony E
Lens Format Protection: Full body
Minimal Focus Distance: 10.2 in / 26 cm (from sensor)
Magnification: 1.4:1 macro replica, 1.4x magnification
Optical Design: 17 parts in 13 teams
Aperture Blades: 11, rounded
Focus Sort: Autofocus
Picture Stabilization: Sure
Filter Measurement: 67mm (entrance)
Dimensions: ø 3.2 x L 5.8 in / ø 81.4 x L 147.9 mm
Weight: 1.4 lbs / 646 g
Construct and controls land the place you anticipate from a G Grasp lens. You get an aperture ring with click on/de-click, an AF/MF change, two focus-hold buttons, and a DMF toggle for full-time handbook override. Climate-sealing is improved, together with a mount gasket you may belief in humid areas. The focusing ring makes use of a clutch to flip between modes, and the lengthy throw in handbook helps nail airplane placement with out searching.
The video additionally covers conduct exterior macro distance. At portrait vary, you get clear separation at f/2.8 with easy backgrounds, although not the soften of a sooner quick tele. Bokeh balls present slight cat’s-eye shaping towards the sides at f/2.8 and develop into extra uniform by round f/4, whereas the 11-blade diaphragm exhibits geometric shapes as you cease down additional. Focus respiration is seen as you rack from infinity to shut focus, which is typical for macro designs and one thing you account for when composing tight frames. Shutter selection issues with dwelling topics and transferring crops, the place 1/400 second is a realistic flooring below blended gentle and the sensible aperture loss at shut focus pushes ISO increased, as much as ISO 8,000 in a single dim instance.
You additionally see sensible combos with native equipment. The lens maintains autofocus with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and FE 2.0x Teleconverter, which prolong magnification whereas conserving dealing with acquainted. The digicam physique used within the demo is the a7R V, and its AF system helps whenever you change from subject-detect to a decent single-point space at very shut vary. Try the video above for the complete rundown from Laing.
