2 New Lens Help

barfastic · Jul 17, 2009

Hey guys,

hope all is well! Ive gotten a spending bug atm, and i wanna know what you guys think of some lens i want to purchase.

Firstly, My camera is a Sony A350 and i want to purchase a prime lens and the Sony 50mm f/1.4 seems to be the most suitable candidate at 379 Euros

Sony 50mm f/1.4 Specifications
-50mm f/1.4 Standard Lens
-Ultra-bright f1.4 aperture for low-light shots
-Excellent for hand-held shooting without flash
-Superb image sharpness and detail
-Circular Aperture for pleasing defocused effects
-Focal Length 35mm Equivalent: 50 mm
-Focal Length APS: 75 mm
-Angle of View 35mm Equivalent: 47ﾟ
-Angle of View APS: 32ﾟ
-Min Focus Distance: 1 6 (45 cm)
-Aperture Maximum: f1.4
-Aperture Minimum: f22
-Maximum Magnification: 0.15X
-Lens Construction: 7 elements in 6 groups with 7 aperture blades
-Filter Diameter: 55 mm
-Dimensions: 2-9/16 x 1-11/16 (65.5 x 43 mm)
-Weight: 7-3/4 oz (220 g)
-Supplied Accessories: Front and rear lens cap, SH0011 lens hood

Secondly i want a new zoom lens. I currently have the Sony SAL75-300 f/4.5-5.6, but im not completely pleased with the quality of images it takes. I have set my eye on the new Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3. What other zoom lens would you recommend?

Basically im looking for a long zoom lens for sports, and some nature photography...

I currently have also have a 18-70 (Kit lens) and a Tamron 90mm Di Macro lens.

Thanks in advance!

JerryPH · Jul 17, 2009

Try reseaching on dpreview.com and a google will also find you many answers.

benhasajeep · Jul 17, 2009

barfastic said:
Hey guys,

hope all is well! Ive gotten a spending bug atm, and i wanna know what you guys think of some lens i want to purchase.

Firstly, My camera is a Sony A350 and i want to purchase a prime lens and the Sony 50mm f/1.4 seems to be the most suitable candidate at 379 Euros

Sony 50mm f/1.4 Specifications

Secondly i want a new zoom lens. I currently have the Sony SAL75-300 f/4.5-5.6, but im not completely pleased with the quality of images it takes. I have set my eye on the new Sigma 150-500 f/5-6.3. What other zoom lens would you recommend?

Just like the 50mm range of Pentax, Nikon, and Canon the Sony (Minolta) 50mm has very good qualities. Very nice low light capabilities. Would be a good choice for a fast lens.

As for the 150-500 Sigma. It's a bit slow for sports deppending on what sports you want it for. For outdoors in nice light, it will be fine. Also for nature shots, will be just fine. But once you move indoors its slower max aperture will come to bear. I once owned the older version, but the 150-500 is really a complete redesign than an update of the older version (170-500). So, I cannot give you any hands on information.

If you want to do fast moving sports, or indoor shots, I recommend buying a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. Obviously the Sony version will be a bit more than say a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8. But I believe the Sony will have better qualities overall of the Sigma. Obviously the Sigma is a very good lens though as it has a good following in several mounts (Nikon and Canon shooters). If it were me, I think I would spend the money on a fast 70-200mm f/2.8 over the longer ranged 150-500. And sell the 70-300.