Sony Redefines the 100mm F2.8 Macro

[mimbu]

@Richard CR , starting this thread since there currently isn't one attached to your recent Industry News post:

Sony Redefines the 100mm F2.8 Macro - Canon Rumors

The 100mm Macro lens has been a staple across nearly every original equipment manufacturer since the film days. And outside of notable inclusions, such as Canon’s own Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM, which features a specially designed image stabilization that actually works at near macro close...

www.canonrumors.com

A couple of issues in the article:

The 100mm Macro lens has been a staple across nearly every original equipment manufacturer since the film days. And outside of notable inclusions, such as Canon’s own Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM, which features a specially designed image stabilization that actually works at near macro close focusing distances, and Sony’s STF (smooth trans focus) that improved the bokeh characteristics while sacrificing some light, the amount of innovation has been relatively underwhelming.

Sony's STF lens is not really a macro. It will do 1:4 (0.25x) but it wasn't intended as a full macro lens like the 90/2.8G that does 1:1 and is the predecessor of the new 100/2.8GM macro.

However, that’s until Sony decided to rewrite the rules on what a 100mm macro should be. As with most Sony GM lenses, the Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM features dual linear focus motors

It's quad motors, two per focus group. Sony claims AF is 1.9x faster than the 90/2.8G lens. And yes, it supports up to 120fps which is a big improvement over the 15fps that the 90/2.8G supported.

Out of the box, the lens is a 1.4x macro, which is unheard of. However, Sony wasn’t done making this lens teleconvertor-friendly, allowing it to increase the reproduction to 2.8x when a teleconvertor is added.

Canon's own RF 100/2.8L IS Macro does 1.4x (1.4:1), but it does not support teleconverters.

The Sony lens does 1.4x (1.4:1) but can take a 1.4x TC to increase magnification to 2x (2:1), or the 2x TC which results in 2.8x (2.8:1) magnification. I would expect the 1.4x TC to provide superb image quality but there will probably be some degree of degradation with the 2x.

Competition is great for everyone.

For sure!

 

[ThomasTH]

I think it's really cool that it takes teleconverters.