Sony 12-24mm f/2.8: $3,000, "Halo" Super-Wide Zoom

[@raulakis35]

This is the first time I post a comment!.. i just wanted to say your videos are so consistent... well produced... informative... and love the formality!! great review!!!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😊

[@daceuro]

This lens is perfect for hybrid real estate work where you switch from your tripod to your gimbal (then open the aperture) and shoot both stills and video for real estate and architecture. That’s precisely who this is for.

[@JohnChoiDigital]

In shooting automotive events (LA Auto Show, for example), the Sigma 14-24 was awesome. With so many journalists crowding the floor, having those extra 2mm over my reg workhorse 16-35 GM was much appreciated. Another 2mm extra on the wide end for $3k though? Think this is much more suited for astro and high end architecture work.

[@toddm6999]

I just bought this lens and automatically my significant other became my insignificant other...thanks Sony...I am a free man.Oh ya does anyone need a lens?... kind of broke now..

[@joe2snj]

I think this lens was Sony having a “because we can” moment. I own it and the 12mm perspective is truly something special. Looking forward to doing some urban landscape and woodland photography with mine. Great content as always 👌

[@3BMEP]

Enjoy!

[@davidwoods80]

Got five alerts for videos, all about the same lens.... Picked yours first. Probably won't bother with the others.

[@3BMEP]

😊🙏🏻 Appreciated - though some of those others will have had direct hands-on experience, and that’s always helpful.

[@Canadapt]

Cheers! As always ... informative and engaging. I think that this will make the sales of Sony's FE 12-24mm f/4 skyrocket. In a perverse way it makes that lens look affordable. I owned the Sony Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 and traded it for the FE 12-24mm f/4 and have never looked back. The 12-24mm is sharper - and - yes - I often shoot wider than 16mm with it. Most importantly of all ... super wide zooms have challenged me to see differently and that is a priceless asset - did I mention that they are just plain fun and no other bit of kit makes me smile more! Take good care and stay healthy!

[@3BMEP]

Michael Hill Thanks for such a thoughtful contribution to the conversation!

[@andgainingspeed]

A great technical achievement by Sony that will not be used by most people already into the E mount system? Sure. But with a fully mature native lineup and plenty of third party options, maybe it is the right time for Sony to show off their technical prowess? Maybe more low volume, high priced technical marvels on the way? Or updated versions of older E lenses that employ some of the ideas developed in the GM line? I'm more excited by the idea of an "all new" A7SIII that may signal a new body size/design that might be adopted eventually by the other lines. But in the meantime I'll tip my cap to Sony for releasing an audacious lens, while standing pat with my 16-35gm.

[@MrCelokun]

Great video Hugh! I almost get popcorn to watch your videos, haha. Really love your POV's, style, and of course pictures. Keep up the amazing work!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😊

[@philipshucet9481]

Enjoyed the review and as usual I learned something. Cool. Not a lens I'm likely to purchase, but so what! Learning is learning.

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😉

[@StymyParsley]

It’s a lens I have absolutely no need for but something about 12-24 sounds so appealing

[@3BMEP]

I understand. 😜

[@Fleet42]

Why not buy the 12-24 Sony F4?

[@JamesJohnsonthe4th]

From the samples I’ve seen it looks pretty good for astrophotographers. I’m not the nature type so I don’t think I’d use it much and will stick to my 24 GM.

[@J.Cleverly]

Long time ago I did low light concert photography, this lens would've been perfect. It has almost no use for me in my current habits swapping between 24, 35 and 85mn primes, but I still kind of want it.

[@mawavoy]

Loved the architecture photos. Nature/wildlife is another use that produces some stunning photos even at the 12mm end.

[@matthewappleby8272]

Just picked this lens up for a significant discount in Australia, usually $4965.00 dropped to $4164.00 minus 10% stocktake sale $3747.60 minus $150 Sony redemption, $3597.60, saving $1367.40. If it wasn't for all those discounts, I would never have bought it, even at that price it was a whole chunk of change, hopefully it's worth it. B&H selling for $2898USD now which would be $4518.85AUD, so significantly less over here with sales and redemption.

[@Kusanosuke1]

Excellent question posed at the end of the video, but had to endure 4 ad interruptions to get there. Funny how much R&D funds are being blown on halo niche lenses these days by the big boys, including Fujifilm. One has to wonder whether those funds could be invested in more practical and profitable pursuits.

[@RyanZNO]

I have the 16-35 GM and love it, but rarely use the 16mm. This lens makes no sense to me, especially at $3k...

[@luisvanegas1039]

First time ever seeing one of your videos. Great stuff, subscribed.

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻 Welcome!

[@elmachomen]

Great video Hugh, as always!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😊

[@CalMukumoto]

I have the Sony 12-24mm f4 and the Sony 16-35mm f2.8. I use the 16-35mm more. But to be truthful, out of the last 3500 shots I have taken, at least 3400 of them have been 35mm prime. Of the previous hundred, a bunch of them are 28mm prime, some are 50mm prime, and some are 90mm macros. Hmm, I get your point, Hugh.

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😈😉

[@CalMukumoto]

@@3BMEP You are so right.

[@renestaempfli1071]

I have the 12-24mm 1/4 which is just fine form. But the one I really like is my 10mm 1/5.6 Voigtländer.

[@AllCarsUnited]

I own the voitglander as well. It's a ok lense. Built quality however is phenomenal.

[@troyphillips1077]

Not a big Sony fan but this has been changing fast . More so maybe because of their past cameras with fiddling around menus and build quality. Them now really listening to their customers (mostly) but dang this lens is what a have wanted for a long while . One main feature above all and that’s is FAST autofocus in an ultrawide. Add this to eye and face detection that’s fast and we now have a lens I myself have wanted oh and my need for speed is also at f/2.8 or faster . I shoot live music photography in dark clubs . This lens with the new Sony bodies give me all I want but don’t have .

[@3BMEP]

Great use case. Enjoy!

[@jayford8479]

Absolute most capable is always tempting, but Sigma got my money just a couple of weeks back. Cheers if you buy either - go out and put 'em to good use.

[@KGi4]

There was an article couple years ago that Sony invested 2 billions into developing better gear so here you go the outstanding outcome of this lens, and yes you pay for this baby because it is one of its kind with quality and performance. I wont buy but i am enjoying the fireworks :D

[@mastrorj68]

So my dad also worked at the towers and was an engineer for the elevator systems. I actually have very rare photos from the top and i mean the roof of the building id love to get to you if you would like to see them. He was also a photographer. Let me know if youre interested

[@3BMEP]

I am!

[@massimocombi7718]

I do need a Sony tilt shift lens. I agree with everything said, but, being myself an architectural photographer, this lens is probably what I need to upgrade my Sony 12-24 g.

[@3BMEP]

Delighted to have you weigh in, Massimo, as a practitioner of the genre. The MTF charts on this lens look spectacular, but my question to you is: what can't you do with 12-24/4 that you can/want/need to do with this one?

[@massimocombi7718]

@@3BMEP nothing. I agree. I said probably what I need because first I haven t tried yet and second I do think that the difference in price doesn't t justify the difference in performance. At least not that much. It s not a game changing lens, it s an upgrade lens (if you have money to spend and you want a little extra from your 12-24 g it s ok). The real game changing lens would be a Sony tilt shift lens, which you could use to create beautiful panorama without relying on adaptive wide angle in PS and eccessive corrections.

[@322Iceke]

New Sigma 14-24 F/2.8 , performing the same at 1/2 the price... wait...OK.

[@ccbphoto]

Thanks Hugh... Even if I were in the market for such a massive wide angle lens, the price point is way out of my reach!

[@3BMEP]

I understand, Craig! 🖖🏻

[@KhariConception]

All I need is a 24mm prime lens thats AT-LEAST F2.8 or faster and I’m fine.

[@neilford5262]

Yay for statistical outliers! 😀 (Now there's a T-shirt I'd buy) Great analysis as always and lots of things to contemplate. 👍

[@3BMEP]

GREAT IDEA!!!

[@rafai1281]

I want f2.8 or f4 primes, smallest possible, build at highest standards, aimed at highest optical performance. Yes, I can pay a premium for it.

[@siddharthreddy8868]

Then can go with sony 12-24mm f4, it feels so light weight (525gm). If F2.8 doesn't bother you can definitely go with that.

[@rickhearn5899]

With respect to your comment about being a statistical outlier... Years ago my sister the shrink gave me a shirt proclaiming “This is no ordinary person you’re dealing with”. I still wonder which end of the bell curve I fall into.

[@3BMEP]

😎

[@maxwellwellmax878]

Have no interest in this lens but I wanted to spend some time listening and watching your reaction :).

[@3BMEP]

☺️

[@stephenscharf6293]

Hi Hugh, another well-informed and well-considered video. With respect to being able to think of "anything that can compete with this lens", just a note for accuracy for your consideration: there is the Fujinon 8-16mm f/2.8. XF R LM WR, which provides the same effective focal length and is just as fast, and is weather-resistant, $1000 less expensive, and *perfectly rectilinear.* This lens is superb for architecture, real estate and landscape photography with exceptional image quality. I've been using this lens for a year and a half now for 90% of my professional RE and Arch work, and it is one of the finest lenses I've ever used. Oh...and I bought it during a Fujifilm promotion for $500 off MSRP, which is *1/2* the price of the Sony lens. Cheers, Stephen

[@3BMEP]

Stephen, as always, you elevate the discussion. Thanks for pointing out (as another viewer has) for the omission of the XF 8-16!

[@stephenscharf6293]

@@3BMEP Cheers, Hugh! Stay safe, my friend.

[@rjacob06]

An excellent video as always. Nikon will soon announce their own wide angle fast zoom lens for the Z system. I am looking forward to that one. I wonder how it will compare to the Sony lens.

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😊

[@KonstantinGabriel1978]

Money wise Sigma is no brainer. 1300 buckaroos and I own it for more than a year. Sony is late to the party. I really love the Sigma. Even the fact that I can use only the small filters is not a problem for me.

[@3BMEP]

Delighted you’re delighted! 😊👍🏻

[@KonstantinGabriel1978]

@@3BMEP forgot to add something. The tone of your voice and the way you put things in perspective makes me watch or sometimes just listen all the way through the video. Never been verry good at patience or diplomacy 😂.

[@SunDog5050]

Your frequency of ads are increasing faster than the number of virus cases! I guess you had to pay for your SL2.

[@mindfestvideo]

O no, free content with ads. How bold of him.

[@RyanZNO]

You could just pay for KZbin premium 👍🏻

[@brocktonbensch1356]

I would like tilt shift lenses. Especially for the GFX systems I think it makes practical sense.

[@3BMEP]

Especially for architectural photography, yes!

[@Honkus]

Looks very similar (minus the APSC vs Full Frame) to the Fuji XF 8-16 f2.8. Both...amazing engineering feats that very few would need or be wiling to pay for. :D But, great to see the innovation continue.

[@jamesvanderpool6079]

What do I want? A 40mm 1.6 G Macro FE with dual linear motors and a 1:2 reproduction ratio and a 67mm filter thread. Bwahahaha, never happening.

[@jochenkraus7016]

How about the Batis 40mm? That's quite close.

[@jamesvanderpool6079]

@@jochenkraus7016 I actually have the Batis. It produces perhaps my favorite image of any standard lens, but has some operational hiccups that make me consider a replacement every now and then. That consideration is what brought this comment XD.

[@BB-ft6nd]

I use the Fujifilm 8-16mm f/2.8. It does the same thing for 1/2 the price...

[@StymyParsley]

True but that’s an APSC f/2.8. I mean good enough for me but some people might care.

[@Riskbreaker2009]

Not the same as a f2.8 apsc is a f4.2 ff equivalent so even the sony 12-24 f4 G is a better lens than the fuji at almost the same price an way lighter

[@黎牧書房]

I used to believe Fujifilm’s excellent medium format lenses are too expensive. Not anymore after knowing what Sony does.

[@wilfri14]

Wayy too much money we already got the sigma for way less 😏 sony really loosing their minds specially in this pandemic crisis= no money