Hi, Carl here for ProAV TV and today we are talking about Sony, or more specifically,
their new 18-110mm lens.
This is designed as an all purpose video lens for users of the fs5 and fs7.
It gives you the standard focal lengths you need in everyday shooting, so that you can
rely on just one lens to cover you for most situations.
Great for anyone doing run and gun film making, documentary, news, weddings.
Basically if your reacting to the world around you when your filming rather than being in
complete control, this is a great lens for you.
To really understand this lens though, you need to know what came before it.
This is Sony's 28-135mm lens which was released along side the fs7 when it first launched
two years ago.
It had some really great features, built in power zoom, optical steadishot the choice
of a clicked or declicked aperture ring and full manual focus rather than fly by wire
focusing which you fine on Sony's stills glass.
It was also built to cover a full frame sensor, which you would have thought would be a great
thing.
But actually, because the cameras its used on are super 35mm cameras rather than full
frame, it ended up a rather strange focal length.
28mm at its widest end is just not quite wide enough on a camera like the fs7 or fs5 when
your using the lens as a standard zoom.
This meant that this lens actually works better on Sony's mirror less cameras like the a7s,
which is a combination no one really actually used.
Because, well, the lens is twice the size of the camera and it ends up looking like
this.
So fast forward to now, and Sony have given us this, the 18-110mm.
The big difference is that this one is designed for super 35mm sensors, hence the wider focal
range of 18-110.
18 is significantly wider than 28mm and is a very common wide focal length to use.
You do lose a little on the telephoto end as it finishes at 110mm rather than 135mm,
but after actually using it the difference isn't as much as you might think.
So this focal range is much more convinient when your using an fs7 or fs5.
Making this the best standard zoom in Sony's range for those cameras.
The focal length isn't the only thing Sony have changed here though.
They have also added some pitch gears to the focus ring so that you can use a follow focus
if you want.
Plus the manual zooming has been completely overhauled.
On the older lens when you zoomed manually it had to use the servo motors, giving you
a smooth but slightly slow and unresponsive response.
On this lens however, when you flip that switch from servo to manual it completely disengages
the servo motors and gives you actual manual control.
Its a small change, but it does make the lens so much nicer to use.
Sony have designed these lenses for use in video and so have done their best to minimise
any focus breathing, axial shift, technical elements like that.
In my brief tests I did notice a little breathing, but its very minimal, perhaps slightly better
than the older 28-135mm lens but they are both pretty good to be honest.
They don't hold up to true cinema glass, but they are certainly a long way better than
still lenses are.
For me, this lens is better in every way than the older 28-135mm if your using it with an
fs5 or fs7.
Sony really have upped their game and given us a very serious contender for people looking
for an all purpose standard zoom designed for video.
So what do you think of the lens?
Let us know in the comments section below, and make sure to like the video and subscribe
to the channel for more.
Thanks for watching, and i'll see you in the next video.