MINI TESTS
SONY E PZ 10-20MM F/4 G £750/$748 sony.com
When Sony revealed a trio of wide- angle lenses to fit APS-C sensor cameras, a new camera release was always on the cards. After all, there was nothing recent from Sony that would really require the investment in building a 10-20mm f/4 power zoom and two fast primes: a 15mm f/1.4 G and 11mm f/1.8. Now the FX30 is here – and these make perfect sense – in particular the £750/$748 10-20mm zoom claimed to be the world’s smallest and lightest ultra wide-angle constant f/4 power zoom for Super 35 cameras. It weighs just 178g/0.39lb and measures a tiny 69.8x55mm/2.8x2.2in. And, as the lens uses internal zoom and focus mechanisms, it does not change in length when zooming or focusing. Despite the optic’s small dimensions, Sony managed to cram in a power zoom slider, AF/MF switch and a focus hold button that can be customised. They are small, though. If you have sausage-size fingers, you may struggle. The power zoom works perfectly with the new FX30, as there’s a zoom control around the outside of the shutter release. This uses quiet motors – so zooming while shooting really is an option. This new electronic power
aspherical elements to suppress field curvature and astigmatism. There are also two ED glass elements to fight chromatic aberration, and an ED aspherical element to ensure high resolution right out to the image edges. Plus, there’s a seven-bladed aperture for decent bokeh. In practice, the lens is a very good performer – certainly considering its size. With an equivalent 15-30mm focal length, it will always struggle a little at the edges and show some distortion, as well as a bit of fringing. The lens does produce decent starburst flares at narrow apertures – and bokeh is OK, too. As a dust-resistant, wide optic ideal for vlogging, it’s consistently solid. You probably wouldn’t choose it to shoot your next blockbuster, but it gives good optical performance. It’s compact and light, with a lovely power zoom feature. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 A great, wide power zoom for APS-C Sony cameras Pros: Small and light Cons: No IS, small control rings
SONY STYLE Flare, sunstars and converging verticals are all trademarks of this glass
zoom system offers adjustable zoom speed, ideal for shooting video. Power zoom minimises camera shake, too, rather than having to twist the lens barrel yourself. If you really must take manual control, there is a small zoom ring right next to a small focusing ring. But these can be fiddly, so it’s best to use AF and power zoom. With a lens this small, you can’t expect full-size manual control rings. The constant f/4 aperture is relatively fast for such small glass. But as you may expect for something so compact, the internals are not as advanced as larger and more expensive options. Optical design comprises 11 elements in eight groups, with three
EASY PZ Its compact dimensions suit smaller cameras like the new FX30
SPECIFICATIONS Focal length: 10-20mm Mount: Sony E Image coverage: APS-C Aperture: F/4-22 Aperture blades: Seven
Construction: 11 elements in eight groups, two ED, one ED aspherical and three aspherical elements Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 13cm/5.1in at 10mm Filter size: 62mm Dimensions (wxl): 69.8x55mm/ 2.8x2.2in Weight: 178g/0.39lb
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