Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera

Amazon.com Get incredibly close to small subjects with the Sony 100mm macro lens, which delivers professional results in almost any shooting situation. The versatile macro focus lens covers a wide range of photographic applications, from close-up nature subjects to midrange telephoto shots, making it ideal for carrying on location or in the field. The lens's bright f/2.8 maximum aperture works in conjunction with the Sony Alpha's Super SteadyShot image stabilization system to capture bright, steady images even when working with handheld cameras in low light. Specific details include a focus range limiter that speeds up the autofocus response by limiting the range of distances that are brought into focus; a focus hold button that gives you full creative control; an auto clutch option with a manual focus ring that doesn't rotate; a circular aperture that provides a pleasing circular defocused effect that's ideal for low-light shots; and excellent optical precision that gives your shots greater visual accuracy. Focal length: 150mm (100mm 35mm equivalent) Filter diameter: 55mm Minimum focus distance: 1 foot, 2.4 inches Magnification: 1x Lens group elements: 8 groups 8 elements Distance scale: Yes Distance encoder: Yes Non-rotating focusing ring: Yes Focus hold button: Yes Depth of field: Yes Focus range limiter: Yes Maximum aperture: f/2.8 Minimum aperture: f/32 Blades: 9 aperture Asperhic elements: No Lens type: Macro Dimensions: 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches long Weight: 1 pound, 2 ounces From the Manufacturer 100mm F2.8 Macro Lens This 100mm F2.8 Macro lens offers a greater working distance so you can capture tight macro shots of small-scale wildlife without scaring subjects away, and you're not so close that you need special lighting to illumniate your subject. It's also a first-class telephoto lens for normal shooting and is a good choice for portraits or other subjects that require a bit more reach. Technology Circular Aperture When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result. Focus hold button Once you’ve adjusted focus to where you want it, pressing this button on the lens barrel will keep the lens locked to that focusing distance. The preview function can also be assigned to this button through the camera’s custom settings. Focus range limiter This function allows you to set a limit on the focusing range which can save you time during AF operation as the lens will not ‘hunt’ through the entire focusing range. In macro lenses, this limit can be on either the near or far range (as pictured). In the SAL70200G, the limit is set on far ranges only. In the SAL300F28G, focusing can be limited either to a far range or to a range that you specify yourself. Distance encoder The distance encoder plays an integral part in ADI flash metering, which delivers high precision flash metering that is unaffected by the reflectance of subjects or backgrounds. The distance encoder is a lens component that directly detects the position of the focusing mechanism, and sends a signal to the CPU in order to measure distance to the subject. During flash photography, this data is very useful in calculating how much flash output is appropriate to the scene. 2008 Sony Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. Sony, the Sony logo, Alpha, “α” and Super SteadyShot are trademarks of Sony. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.