Sony laughs at tiny E Mount criticisms claiming they can make f/0.63 lenses

Last October, when Leica manager Stephan Schulz was badmouthing Sony’s E Mount, and how it simply couldn’t handle faster lenses due to its small stature, Sony come back not long after they said that they could absolutely do f/1.0 lenses. They just don’t think it’s worth the hassle and that the demand simply isn’t there.

Well, they seem to have taken things a little further now. With Nikon’s claim of theoretical f/0.65 lenses, Sony claims that they could produce f/0.63 lenses. And they have diagrams to prove it!

Starting around 8:12 in the video above from Max Yuryev, we get to take a peek into a Sony A6400 event where they take a side-note to discuss the claims made against Sony’s E Mount, specifically citing Leica’s claim, along with presenting their rebuttals.

Sony did indeed that the Sony E mount might be limited to f/1.0 or even f/1.2 under certain conditions. Like, if it was being used on a full frame DSLR with a mirror box, and the lens mount was a great distance away from the sensor, like Nikon and Canon’s DSLRs.

And, yes, all else being equal, a wider mount does mean wider aperture glass. But what that explanation doesn’t really take into account is the flange distance. With the E mount being so close to the sensor (although not quite as large as Nikon’s massive Z mount), that maximum potential aperture opens right back up, just like using a larger mount.

They also posted a chart comparing both DSLRs and mirrorless offerings from themselves, Nikon. Canon and Leica, along with their maximum theoretical aperture – in which they calculate Nikon’s Z mount actually maxing out at f/0.58 – which makes sens as it’s both larger and closer to the sensor than Sony E Mount.

Of course, this is all just appendage measuring between Sony, Nikon and Leica. Because none of them is ever actually going to release as wide as these theoretical maximums. It’ll be too heavy to use, it’ll cost an absolute fortune, and it probably won’t even have autofocus. I mean just look at Nikon’s 58mm f/0.95 Noct. They can’t even get that to autofocus, so no chance with an f/0.58 lens. It’ll be virtually impossible to keep your subject sharp and in focus.

So, ok Sony, Leica and Nikon. You can put them away now.

[via Sony Alpha Rumors]

jagigen

Sony are just annoyed that they went from the best (read only) to worst in the mirrorless mount choice due to them sticking to an older design – when Nikon and Canon initially stayed away from the FF ILM and then created a mount worth waiting for.

Because when ever optics Sony produce they wil always be more restricted then and far behind Nikon and Canon.
And they will never be able to pick up the slack unless they drop the E mount and begin all over again.
- padam
  
  I think it is not a big deal, in fact it has the advantage of keeping the lens and body as small as possible (as long as they design more with that philosophy).
  But there are other things that other FF mirrorless cameras do better, it is nice to have choices, nowadays there are no bad cameras, just ones that do things better than others (or yes if there is a lens for a system that is not available for others, etc.)
- gimmedathoe
  
  Who TF needs anything faster than 1.4 honestly? Canon’s mirrorless cameras have been embarrassing so far
  - jagigen
    
    It’s not all about maximum wide open. Its about not being restricted in the optical design process. Getting leverage in the construction and being able to do 1.4 or 1.2 or 0.95 or… without vinjetting or any other deficiencies.
    
    Sony took an old mirror designed flange and shortened the body but added length to the lens.
    Nikon and Canon created a far better solution optimised for IML FF.
    
    Sony will always be left behind until they do away with their mount.
- krb
  
  So how come Sony still has some of the best lenses ever made for any mount?
  - spacebar2011
    
    Oh, do they? Every camera manufacturer has a few of the “best lenses ever made”. What’s your point? We’re talking about the future here. If the E mount was all the mount dia you needed for making the best lenses down to f/1.0, are both Nikon and Canon dumb to come up with much larger mounts? I mean, two companies that have been making cameras and lenses for nearly a century or more.. somehow didn’t realise that a larger mount was unnecessary, right?