Sony 28-135mm f4 is now THE lens in my bag!
My run-n-gun setup for interviews
Why do I like the Sony 28-135mm f4?
A few weeks ago Sony UK was so kind to loan me the Sony 28-135mm f4 power zoom for my Sony a7S camera. And WOW, what a lens. I was sold and wanted it so bad. I bought my own and it’s now THE lens in my bag. Together with the Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f4 I have almost everything I need for the majority of my work.
Here are a few of the things I really like atbout the Sony 28-135mm f4 power zoom
- Wide power zoom operated range
(can be remote controlled) - Constant f4 aperture
- Declicked or clicked iris ring – switchable (Cinestyle)
- Parfocal (keeps focus when zooming)
- Sharpness
- Good optical steady shot
- No chromatic abberation (in-camera lens compensation)
- Covers full frame
- Great sun hood (room for ND filter)
Suits my shooting style
I shoot a lot of corporate video news letters, events and interviews and the Sony 28-135mm f4 fits right in there. I mainly use the lens with my Sony a7S on my Cambo Cilix rig and a Fotga remote RM-VS1 which straps onto the handle of the Cambo rig. The Fotga is better than Sony’s own remote RM-VPR1 (Sorry Sony!) since it has the mounting strap. The remote lets me operate the power zoom (PZ) on the lens in two speeds. I find this very usefull.
Using the With my Sony a7S I can engage crop mode so the lens covers 28-202mm. Really handy!
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I really like the look im getting from it. It’s sharp from f4 and all the way up. Knocks any affordable lens out that I have tried including the much loved Canon EF 24-105, which it beats in all areas (according to Cinema 5D).
With face detection and AF on ex. the Sony a7S this lens is great for interviews. If you want to go til full manual focus, it’s done bu pulling back the focus ring in the front.
Stabilizer – Optical Steady Shot (OSS)
Shooting handheld og on a small shoulder rig, the Optical Steady shot on the Sony 28-135mm f4 proved to be very valuable. Even on the long end at 135mm. This is of great value to me, since a lot of my shots are handheld or on the Cambo Rig. Used to have the Canon EF 24-105 but it did’nt give me the same stabilization.
Things to be aware of
ND filters for ex. SLOG2 shooting – If you plan to shoot a lot of SLOG2 with ex. the a7S, you should definately get a strong ND filter. Due to the sun hood, you are limited to filters with an outside diameter om approx 100 mm. (thread is 95mm).
My choice: I decided to go with Tokina IRND filter, which has gotten good reviews. Settled for ND 0.9 (for a start) Might get additional later…
The ND filters I know work:
Formatt Hitech 95mm Firecrest ND 0.9 Filter
Tokina Cinema Pro 95mm IRND 0.9 3-Stop Neutral Density Filter
B+W 95mm XS-Pro Digital Vario ND with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating
Bower FN95 Variable Neutral Density Filter 95 mm (Black)
Nisi variable – a Chinese brand. Contact me for furter info!
Check my other post on ND filters and how to read the different numbers.
Zoom ring is electronic – This means you don’t get to do crash zooms where you go quickly in or out. It moves in the speed of the zoom servo. Zoom direction can be changed in the camera. Goes for the a7S, and prob. also on the FS7 and FS5. Btw. the zoom rocker on the FS700 (3.0 firmware), FS7 and the FS5 will also control the Sony 28-135mm f4.
Lens support bracket – Does’nt seem to lock hard enough. I have had some unwanted turns. That’s not ok Sony! The bracket on my Sony 70-200 f4 FE G locks really tight. So it should be possible to make it right.
UPDATE: My solution to the problem is a little oiece of black gaffa tape at the bottom. Problem solved!
Lens cap – I know it’s crazy, but the supplied lens cap is a thin plastic one, which looks like something from my mothers Tupper Ware collection. So Order a 95mm lens cap when you get the lens if you don’t plan on having the sun hood with lid on it the whole time.
Conclusion
Its a awesome lens and I can highly recommend it. It rarely leaves my Sony a7S, and if it does, it’s because I go wider with the Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f4.
Go get one for yourself. You will NOT regret it… 🙂
Happy shooting!
