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| Sony Lenses |
With two different camera mounts and two different sensor sizes, plus a camera brand name change in 2013, there’s some confusion about which Sony lenses can be used on which cameras.
Fear not, here’s everything you need to know about Sony lens compatibility, along with an explanation of Sony camera types.
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| Kit lens |
Two Sony camera types
Sony offers two types of interchangeable lens cameras; compact system
or mirrorless cameras and single lens translucent (SLT) cameras.
Up until the end of 2013 Sony used the NEX brand for its compact
system camera (CSC) line, while its SLT cameras came under the Alpha
banner.
At the end of 2013, however, Sony stopped using the NEX name and both its CSCs and SLTs are now branded Alpha.
Like the more common single lens reflex (SLR) cameras from Canon,
Nikon and Pentax, Sony’s single lens translucent (SLT) cameras have a
mirror.
However, rather than moving out of the way to allow light to reach
the sensor when an image is captured, the mirror in an SLT is fixed in
place and is translucent so that light is always able to reach the
sensor. In an SLT the mirror is there to bounce light onto a dedicated
phase detection autofocus sensor.
Also, unlike an SLR, an SLT has an electronic viewfinder that shows a live view image from the sensor.
Compact system cameras don’t have a mirror, fixed or moving, which
means they can be made smaller. Also, if Sony gives them a viewfinder in
addition to the main screen, it’s an electronic one.
Sony makes both APS-C format and full-frame SLT and compact system cameras.
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| Sony line up |
Two Sony lens mounts
Sony’s SLT cameras have the A-mount. This mount as was first
introduced by Minolta back in 1985 and Sony adopted it when it bought
the Konica Minolta camera business in 2006.
Sony’s compact system cameras have the E-mount, which was first
introduced with the APS-C format Sony NEX 3 and NEX 5 models in 2010.
A Sony A-mount camera such as the A99 (full-frame) or A77 II (APS-C
format) cannot accept E-mount lenses that are designed for use on
compact system cameras. However, there are adaptors that enable Sony
E-mount cameras to accept Sony A-mount lenses – they cannot be attached
directly.
Sony’s full-frames cameras can accept APS-C format lenses with the
appropriate mount, but images are restricted to an area equivalent to an
APS-C sized sensor.
If you want the full benefit of a full-frame camera you need to use a lens that’s designed for use with a full-frame sensor.
Sony full-frame E-mount lenses are badged FE whereas the APS-C format
lenses have the E label. The letters ‘DT’ (Digital Technology) denote
that an A-mount lens is designed for APS-C format.
In some literature and on some packaging Sony uses the abbreviations
SAL and SEL; standing for Sony Alpha Lens and Sony E-mount Lens
respectively.
Full-frame vs APS-C format
Full-frame cameras have a sensor that’s the same size as a 35mm film
frame, whereas APS-C format cameras have a smaller sensor which measures
around 23.5×15.6mm.
Full-frame lenses produce an image circle that’s capable of covering a
full-frame sensor, but APS-C format lenses only have to cover the
smaller area of an APS-C format sensor.
This means that if a full-frame lens is used on a camera with an
APS-C sized sensor, only the centre portion of the image circle is used
and the image will look as if it has been produced by a lens with a
focal length that is 1.5x longer than the actual marked length.
Meanwhile, if an APS-C format lens is mounted on a full-frame camera
it cannot produce an image that covers the whole area of the sensor.
However, Sony full-frame cameras have a crop mode that reduces the size
of the image to match that produced by an APS-C format lens.
Sony lens format abbreviations
Here’s a quick summary of what the most important letters mean on Sony lenses and cameras:
A – A or Alpha mount, used on Sony Alpha SLT cameras and compatible lenses
E – E mount, used on Sony NEX and Alpha compact system cameras and compatible lenses
FE – Full-frame E-mount
SAL – Sony Alpha Lens
SEL – Sony E-mount Lens
DT – A-mount lens for APS-C format
Which Sony camera is which?
Use these lists to check which type of camera you have.
Sony Single Lens Translucent (SLT) cameras
Full frame: A99,
A850, A900
APS-C Format:
A77II,
A77, A6,
A58,
A57,
A55,
A37,
A35, A33,
A700,
A580, A560,
A550, A500, A450,
A380,
A390,
A350,
A330,
A300,
A290,
A230,
A200,
A100
Sony compact system cameras
Full frame: A7R II,
A7II,
A7S,
A7,
A7R
APS-C format:
NEX-7,
NEX-6,
NEX-5,
NEX-5N,
NEX-5R,
NEX-5T,
NEX-3,
NEX-C3, NEX-F3,
NEX-3N,
A3000,
A5000,
A5100, A6000, QX1
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source: Digital camera world
