Sony a7S Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera, Part 2: Adapting Lenses to the E-Mount
Now that we have covered some of the important characteristics of lenses from a videographer's perspective, we'll discuss several of the lens-and-adapter combinations for E-Mount cameras, like the Sony a7S, that are also relevant for the Sony FS100 and FS700/R.
Sony FE
There are currently only 5 lens options in Sony’s full frame E-mount lineup. This will change over time as Sony and partner Zeiss produce additional models but only the three zoom lenses support OSS stabilization, while the prime lenses don’t.
On the α7S, all full-frame FE-mount lenses can be used in both full-frame mode and APS-C mode that adds a 1.5x crop factor. The choice of two different sensor modes leverages your FE-mount lens investments, which is especially important when you consider that most parfocal zoom lenses that are great for video are usually limited in their zoom range to 3x.
The Sony 28-135mm FE f/4 lens, once released in late 2014, will pair nicely with the α7S, although it is a large and heavy lens. While great on a tripod, the 28-135mm FE f/4 may not be as easy to use handheld as some of the other E- and FE-mount lens options. The 70-200 f/4 FE OSS lens has been well received, and I can confirm it is parfocal from my tests at NAB.
The Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T*24-70 f/4 lens hasn’t been well received by photographers due to corner softness but many videographers prefer softer edges and even some vignetting so as long as you know this going in and switch to possibly a prime lens when you need corner sharpness, this lens is going to be a popular one to pair with the Sony α7S. My tests at NAB 2014 show that the 24-70mm f/4 lens is parfocal.
Sony 28-135mm f/4 Power Zoom Full Frame E-mount lens prototype as shown at NAB 2014
I have yet to try the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, which is the kit lens that ships with the α7 and α7r. I’m going to guess that it is parfocal and can hold an f/5.6 iris throughout the zoom range so it is another FE-mount lens option to consider for less than half the cost but I would appreciate it if someone could test this and post the results in the comments below.
On the FE prime lens side, Sony has the Zeiss-designed Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.8 ZA lens and Sonnar T* 55mm f/1.8 ZA lens. The 55mm lens is getting rave reviews for sharpness but I really do wish these lenses has OSS like the zoom lens options do for handheld work.
If you want to avoid using adapters, you can look into some third-party E-mount prime lenses. Rokinon (also sold as Bower and Samyang) sells several reasonably priced full frame E-mount prime lenses. I own a Cine 24mm T/1.5 version. As with all third-party lenses, there is no electronic communication with the body, which suits this lens well as it is a fully manual lens anyways.
Minolta SR
I have been a big fan of Minolta lenses since I first bought my FS100 in 2010. I pair mine with a Fotodiox adapter. There are some good parfocal and constant aperture zoom lenses, namely the 35-70mm f/4 and 24-50mm f/4, but their zoom range is only 2x per lens so instead, on my FS100 & FS700, I use faster α-mount 28-75mm f/2.8 lenses by Konica-Minolta and Tamron with the LA-EA2 adapter.
Minolta 28mm f/2.0 Rokkor-X lens with Fotodiox adapter on Sony α7S
For primes, I really enjoy using my Minolta Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.4 lens on my FS700 for interviews and my Minolta Rokkor-X 28mm f.2 lens is the one I have used the most often on my α7S for taking photos and videos of my kids around the house. With the Sony α7S, I plan on using these two prime lenses, along with my Rokinon 24mm T/1.8 cine lens and don’t feel the need to invest in any new lenses, especially when my two vintage Minolta primes perform so well and the current lineup of Sony FE prime lenses don’t support image stabilization.
Conclusion
The Sony FE lineup is still under development but don’t assume this means that you can’t find a full range of great video lenses for the Sony α7S by extending your reach a little further into the E-mount range. The benefits of sticking with E-mount lens on the Sony α7S are in-camera lens correction, optical stabilization, and a lighter weight. If you have a lot of Canon glass and insist on using it on the Sony α7S, then I hope you don’t have to wait too long for a needed firmware update for the Metabones adapters.
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