Zeiss ZA Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM (Sony SAL-2470Z) Review / Test

The Zeiss ZA Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM is a hint of the things to come. It is a full format standard zoom lens that is more or less openly targeting Sony's upcoming professional-grade 24mp FF DSLR but it does naturally work perfectly on the existing lineup of APS-C DSLRs where its field-of-view is equivalent to about 36-105mm in classic terms.

Regarding its weight of nearly 1kg the Zeiss ZA 24-70mm f/2.8 feels like a massive block of glass. However, this is not overly unusual - the Canon and Nikon counterparts are in the same weight- and size-league. Upon closer inspection you may be a bit surprised that the lens is not an all-metal construction. The inner tube as well as the lens hood are made of metal indeed but Sony used plastics for parts of the outer body. Plastics may sound bad but it is a high-quality variant ... although it does still not feel really right regarding the positioning of the lens. Unfortunately the lens does not feature any seals which is also a bit of a faux-pas. The zoom ring operates a bit stiff - surely a side-effect of the heavy weight of the glass. The handling of the focus ring is smoother. Typical for most Sony lenses both control rings have an inevitable tendency to collect dust in no time "thanks" to the fluted rubber design.

Looking at the product shots at photozone.de you may notice that the lens extends when zooming from 24mm towards the long end of the range. The Zeiss uses an internal focusing design so the front element does not rotate during focusing (nor zooming) operations.

One of the interesting features of the lens is the SSM - the SuperSonic AF Motor which is similar to Canon's USM or Nikon's SWM. The SSM is not really a new thing for Sony/Minolta users - Minolta released the first SSM lenses several years ago - but so far Sony was quite shy to take advantage of it for whatever reason. The SSM of the Zeiss is ultra-fast, near silent and very accurate. More of this please! Sony/Zeiss did also incorporate a focus-lock button plus a dedicated AF/MF switch.

Take a look at the Specifications, and read on here

http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/47-sony-alpha-aps-c/380-zeiss_za_2470_28?start=1

and see samples here

http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/47-sony-alpha-aps-c/380-zeiss_za_2470_28?start=2

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PENTAX Announces Optio V20

PENTAX Imaging Company has announced the PENTAX Optio V20 compact digital camera with a 5X zoom lens, 8.0 megapixels, and a generous 3.0 inch LCD monitor.

pentaximaging.com

Ultra-slim and stylish in design, this latest PENTAX compact digital camera makes it easy to capture and to view images.
Three innovative features on the Optio V20 help users optimize portrait photographs. A Face Recognition function automatically detects and focuses on faces, then sets the optimum exposure. Smile Capture detects the key facial expression of happy people and releases the shutter automatically. Blink Detection reports to the user whether any subjects closed their eyes in an image, so that the shot may be recaptured if necessary. Additional features include Auto-tracking AF for continuously focusing on a moving subject, 52MB of built-in memory, and an Auto-Macro mode that allows close-up photography as near as 4 inches (10 cm) without changing the normal focusing mode.
The PENTAX Optio V20 will ship in May 2008 for US $279.95.
PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital SLR and compact cameras, lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, eyepieces and mobile printers and scanners. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. With headquarters in Golden, Colorado, PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc.

PENTAX Imaging CompanyMedia Contact: Michelle Martin, 303-728-0224 michelle.martin@pentax.com
or
Consumer Product Information:1-800-877-0155
pentaxinfo@pentax.com
http://www.pentaximaging.com/

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