URGENT UPDATE: Sony has just announced the release of its highly anticipated 100mm macro lens, designed to revolutionize macro photography. This new lens promises to deliver enhanced magnification and superior background blur, allowing photographers to capture tiny subjects with unprecedented clarity.
The 100mm macro lens boasts a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a remarkable 1.4x magnification, setting it apart from its predecessor, the 90mm macro lens. Photographers can now fill the frame with details as minute as a grain of rice, making this lens a must-have for anyone serious about macro photography.
In a compelling video demonstration by renowned photographer Dros, viewers witness the lens’s capabilities in a real forest environment, not just on a spec sheet. The video highlights how the 100mm lens performs against the older model, showcasing its slightly larger build and added features such as an aperture ring, a second custom button, and notably faster autofocus.
As Dros captures images of tiny mushrooms and raindrops on autumn leaves, the improvements in bokeh become evident. The 100mm lens achieves smoother backgrounds, enhancing the subject’s isolation—an essential quality for macro photography. Dros captures handheld shots at ISO values around 2,000, demonstrating the lens’s flexibility and responsiveness in varying conditions.
The lens’s ability to support teleconverters is another breakthrough feature, allowing photographers to push macro boundaries even further. Dros showcases how, with the 1.4x teleconverter, he can zoom in on individual droplets of water, capturing details that the 90mm lens would struggle to achieve.
As the video progresses, Dros explores advanced techniques such as focus stacking, providing a deeper insight into the lens’s performance. The 100mm lens captures intricate details of textures and patterns in nature, transforming ordinary scenes into extraordinary photographs.
Dros also tests the lens with a 2x teleconverter, compressing distant autumn colors into soft backgrounds, revealing a level of detail that was previously unattainable. The ability to capture minuscule insects and their features, such as faces and antennae, highlights the lens’s impressive capability at maximum magnification.
The video further addresses the critical question for photographers: should you upgrade to the new 100mm lens or stick with the 90mm model? With used prices for the older lens likely dropping, Dros encourages viewers to consider how much the additional reach and teleconverter flexibility matter to their photography.
With its innovative features, the 100mm macro lens is poised to change the landscape of macro photography. For those interested in elevating their craft, this lens is now available, and Dros’s full video review provides an in-depth look at its capabilities.
Stay tuned for more updates as photographers around the globe begin to explore the new possibilities offered by Sony’s latest release.
