Sony announces their first high quality zoom E-mount lenses, new mirrorless

Okay I'm 30 minutes to the official announcement but:

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/nex-5t-a ... cs-leaked/

18-105 f/4 G PZ OSS lens (For those not familiar with Sony, their equivalent to Canon L lenses are Zeiss and G, G being Sony, with Zeiss being Zeiss optics built by Sony) ; This is a little bit larger than the 55-210 lens.

Zeiss 16-70 f/4 OSS lens

NEX-5T (minor refinements to NEX-5R)

New ILC-3000: ; Uses a small SLT body, and priced to compete with the entry level Rebels, this is an E-mount body with an integrated viewfinder, a low resolution LCD screen (non-tiltable)
20mp
Contrast AF only (no PDAF)


If this is where Sony is going it's quite intriguing. ; While Canon made their EF-S lenses so only APS-C bodies can use them, Sony may be moving to where E-mount is the entry level, and you can start upgrading to A-mount lenses that you can use with an adapter. ; But if you don't want to upgrade you now have a choice of some high quality lenses to go with the 24-30mp sensors out in the field. ; There is still a rumor that they are working on the next gen NEX-7 that will have a combo A/E mount without an adapter.

 

It does seem like they're aiming for all mirrorless - with two distinct lines, and a bridge between them. ; The A-mount will remain the high-feature semi-pro line, with proper bodies and controls and all the bells and whistles, with both APS-C and full frame offerings, while the eMount splits into the entry level, more basic bodies and the compact 'rangefinder' style bodies which will be available in both entry-level and enthusiast models. ; The ILC looks to be the 'bridge' between A and E - they are eMount, but with adapters over to A mount to gain access to a wider lens range, and the upgrade path of an Amount body. ; The NEX can continue to focus on rangefinder style bodies, smaller and lighter, for those who prefer that type, or those with DSLRs or larger bodies wanting a lighter second system...most likely the LA-EA2 will be a better ; match to the ILC type bodies, even though it started as a NEX adapter - I think NEX will focus now on higher quality eMount lens offerings for those who want to stay compact, and the LA-EA2 will be further developed and designed for the ILC bodies. ; Meanwhile, the next-gen Alpha bodies on Amount which will be likely full mirrorless, PDAF-on-sensor DSLR-like bodies, should be coming soon, and we'll see how those can match DSLR style performance in all types of shooting (landscapers and portraiters shouldn't miss the mirror much, but action shooters and birders may...still stands to be tested!).