In 2017 Sony still did not stop, so officially released the fourth G Master lens - Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS lens, from the workmanship of the lens to the addition of some of Sony's new technology to make this lens are worthy of the name of the opening of the year of 2017 most have This lens is one of the most talked about lenses of the beginning of 2017. We recently had the chance to get our hands on this lens, so read on to find out if it's any good.
Pros:
1. High resolution aperture full open without pressure
2. Built-in APD varifilter
3. Recent focusing distance of 0.57m
Weaknesses:
1. Aperture is not large enough
Buying guide:
Through the test of no need to feel the first this lens is absolutely solid. Lens is absolutely solid workmanship, the second completely inherited the high optical quality of the G Master lens, the most important thing is that this time the inclusion of the vario filter really makes this lens has the perfect out-of-focus function, is definitely the first choice for portraits and commercial photography. As for focusing, although the vario filter allows more light to pass through the center, the DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor) focus drive system also allows the lens to focus quickly in relatively poor lighting conditions.
So this is a comprehensive quality lens, of course, the price is not cheap, the domestic price of 11,999 yuan, Sony's official website and other e-commerce channels are currently out of stock, but also visible in the hot degree of this lens, but because the unit price is not low, so more recommended for professional portrait photographers or studio use.
Solid workmanship with excellent feel
Sony's new FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS lens size dimensions of 85.2 x 118.1 mm, weighing 700g, the first feeling in the hands of solid workmanship, from the name of the G Master Lens series, we can understand that this belongs to the G Master Lens series, and also comes with the OSS anti-shake and a long time to go! STF image smooth transition effect.
Sony's FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master lens can be roughly divided into three segments, with a zoom ring on the upper part, an aperture ring on the second, and a macro toggle switch on the third.
Sony's FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master lens side of the design is also we can often see in the FE lens on the autofocus and manual focus toggle switch, at the same time, because of the equipped OSS anti-shake, but also has the anti-shake toggle switch.
The macro switch on Sony's FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master lens is the round button in the image above, and this new lens is also considered to have added a small macro function, with the closest focusing distance raised to 0.57m.
It's worth noting that this lens uses a piece of newly developed APD variofilter, which is used to enhance both foreground and out-of-focus focus. Used to enhance the foreground and out-of-focus soft focus effect, while improving the caliber erosion, through the actual trial can feel the out-of-focus dispersion round the effect is very good, in the lens we also see after the F5.6-F8 can achieve excellent out-of-focus effect.
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master lens has 11 built-in aperture blades, so that the out-of-focus part of the spot can be presented more perfect round. While the number of aperture blades is not the central determinant of out-of-focus results, it does ensure that highlights appear rounded.
Since the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master is positioned as a high-end GM lens, this lens also offers weather sealing. At the bottom of the lens, in the bayonet section, we are able to find a rubberized seal, which prevents water vapor or impurities from entering the interior of the lens.
The most profound feeling about the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF G Master is the out-of-focus effect of the lens, which is the main focus of the lens, indeed, because of the addition of APD vario filters, so that everyone is very concerned about the out-of-focus dispersion circle is almost always able to ensure that the complete circle, and another brand launched the out-of-focus effect of the 105mm lens compared to the lens of the Sony this lens can be described as perfect. The Sony lens can be described as perfect.
Overall, the Sony FE 100mm lens does feel good in the hand, holding in the hands of a certain sense of pressure, and more importantly, the addition of APD vario filters, enough to make a lot of people look forward to this lens.
Fully usable at full aperture Excellent resolution
Often, it's difficult for a typical large-aperture lens to balance in-focus sharpness with out-of-focus softness. But since this lens is part of the G Master Lens Lens series, it certainly integrates the excellent optical qualities of the G Master Lens Lens, in the end, how effective we are still through the evaluation environment for a test. The test process using 42.4 megapixel Sony A7RII with this aperture for the various gears for sample shooting, and intercept the screen center and edge of the 100% zoom screenshots for comparison.
Through the 100% zoomed-in screenshots of the real-world samples, the resolution of the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS lens at F2.8 aperture is simply amazing, and when the aperture is narrowed down by one stop to F5.6 the image quality improves again, and the center maintains a good level of resolution up to F16. Edge resolution is a little meatier at the maximum aperture of F2.8, but again, it improves significantly when narrowed down a stop, and is almost as good as the center until F16. So you can see that this lens is perfectly safe to use at maximum aperture.
Excellent purple edge control
In terms of testing dispersion, as can be seen in the screenshot above, when the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS lens is at its maximum aperture of F2.8, there is no noticeable purple edge at the confocal point in a high contrast scene, and the out-of-focus portion appears to have a green edge that is visible to the naked eye. Subsequent to narrowing the aperture, the purple edge control is still good, when the aperture is reduced to F8, the out-of-focus green edge can be said to have basically disappeared. So it can be concluded that this lens in the purple edge control is still good, but still in the large contrast scene is prone to green edges, but the good thing is that this point can be dealt with through the post-processing off or reduce the aperture shooting to solve.
APD tracing filter to create the perfect out-of-focus
Sony's lens this time a big selling point is the APD tracing filter, so what exactly is a tracing filter? The so-called tracing filter is actually a circular medium-gray gradient that allows the center to receive more light than the edges, making the out-of-focus portion of the image softer.
So the APD tracing filter makes the out-of-focus bokeh softer than it would be if the filter wasn't used, and the highlights appear almost perfectly rounded. As you can see in the sample below, the out-of-focus spots at the edges are perfectly rounded, which is the first time I've ever seen such a perfect circle at the edges, and I'm really surprised.
This lens is the only one I've seen that can make the spotlight so round, and you can also compare it to the new 105mm lens from the N family, where the out-of-focus spot effect is a stark contrast.
Recent 0.57m macro close-up without pressure
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS not only has a soft out-of-focus, but also has a certain macro effect, in the lens can be directly through the macro switch to open macro mode, the most recent focusing distance up to 0.57m, the following two photographs are compared to the same angle of view in macro mode and normal mode effect comparison. The following two photos compare the effect of the same viewing angle in macro mode and normal mode, although it is not a full macro lens, but for shooting some close-ups has been very helpful.
▲Macro Mode
▲Normal Mode
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 GM OSS Sample Shots
Sony FE 100mm F2.8 GM OSS Sample Shots
This is the first time I've taken a picture of a camera in macro mode.