Many Sony A7s and FS7 shooters have been looking for a good range zoom lens that is also natively supported and features a power zoom and auto-focus options. Sony have thankfully considered those run and gun shooters and offers a 28-135mm F4 ENG style zoom lens, which does come bundled with the PXW-FS7K option (a total of $10,500 for camera plus lens bundle), but can also be purchased by on a standalone basis. The lens itself is a thing of beauty and offers significant benefits to both photographers and video users. With a native E-mount, the Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 OSS lens also covered 35mm full frame, so A7s users especially can benefit from a one-size fits all solution, while FS7 owners do benefit from the long zoom range and servo zoom, but not so much on the wide end of the focal length as the Super 35 chip on the PXW-FS7 gives a 42mm full frame equivalent to the 28mm widest end. So definitely not wide enough for some applications, but nonetheless the zoom lens is a real powerhouse when it comes to flexibility and optical quality.
The folks at B&H recently took the Sony 28-135mm f/4.0 OSS G lens for a spin with the Sony A7s, check out their review below.
The 28-135mm F4 OSS lens from Sony offers manual and power zoom options at the flick of a switch. The Servo Zoom has 8 speeds depending on how hard you push the thumb control, and it’s definitely not super fast at the fastest setting. In manual zoom mode the zoom does have a slight delay, so the good old fashioned “crash zooms” are out of the question here. While this may not be ideal for some video users used to broadcast style 2/3 inch B4 lenses for example, in video the power zoom seems very smooth and reliable.
The zoom as well as focus operation is very quiet, which will help with recording ambient sounds for ENG and any other type of productions where ambient sounds are recorded while the lens is in operation. This is thanks to the Super Sonic Wave Motor, which powers the zoom operation and the linear motor for focusing, which is also benefited by the weight reduction of the focus element group.
The focus ring also slides to enable AF or Manual Focus, which can be a great time saver on set as well. I definitely see a lot of A7s shooters building up ENG rigs with this lens as it offers almost a perfect focal range with 28mm at the wide end and 135mm at the telephoto, and when you add the f/4 constant aperture throughout the full zoom range getting a pleasing bokeh in the background wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Of course the full frame sensor of the A7s and the 9 blade aperture of the zoom lens adds to that effect as well. Despite costing $2,500 – the same as the body of the A7s, this may very well be the perfect lens for the camera, as it offers tremendous value (2/3 inch lens equivalents usually cost $10K+ and don’t cover full frame).
Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS Zoom Lens Highlights
- Sony Full-Frame FE-Mount
- Supports 4K E-Mount Cameras – A7s / PXW-FS7 / NEX-FS700
- Constant f/4.0 Aperture Throughout
- Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
- Power Zoom
- Super Sonic Wave Motor Drive for Quiet Operation
- Maintains Plane of Focus While Zooming
- ED & Aspherical Elements
- Dust and Moisture-Resistant Construction
- Circular 9 Blade Aperture
I’d love to hear what A7s or FS7 shooters think of this lens and for those who have shot with it – what are your findings and experience? Let me know in the comment section below. To order the lens, hit the links below.
B&H Order links:
- Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS Lens – $2,498
- Sony Alpha 7s (A7s) – $2,498
- Sony PXW-FS7K (FS7 + 28-135mm lens) – $10,499
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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