Sony DSC-W80/B Sony® Guide to Digital Photography (Spring 2007) - Page 11

Shooting the digital way CAMERA SYSTEMS Sony lens features Interchangeable lenses The a100 accepts any of 16 million Maxxum® lenses dating back to 1985. Each lens defines a view of the world and establishes its own set of creative possibilities. That's why Sony built the a100 on the foundation of 16 million Maxxum lenses dating back to 1985. These include such cherished Minolta glass as the classic 135mm Smooth Transition Focus (STF), the awe-inspiring 300mm f2.8 G and the 500mm f8 Reflex - the world's only AF telephoto reflex lens. Not only is Sony retaining a wide range of these well-loved optional lenses, we also offer compatible Carl Zeiss® optics, taking a proud legacy into the future. In fact, the Sony Alpha system is a growing family that will offer choices in bodies in addition to a range of optional lenses, offering a rich selection of focal lengths, speeds, and special applications. Carl Zeiss lens Prized by professional photographers for superior sharpness, excellent contrast and color accuracy. Lenses are responsible for maintaining resolution, contrast, even illumination and consistent color from the center of the picture all the way out to the corners. With so much at stake, professional photographers often treasure the lenses of Carl Zeiss. And that's why Sony incorporates a Carl Zeiss lens in nearly every Sony digital camera. In addition, the a100 Digital SLR accepts optional, interchangeable Carl Zeiss lenses. Sony offers professional-grade Carl Zeiss T* lenses for the a100 camera. Our Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, the a100, works with 16 million Maxxum lenses. 18 Carl Zeiss T* coatings 82% less reflection than conventional lens elements, for maximum contrast and perceived sharpness. The difference that T* coatings makes is obvious, even to the naked eye. All Carl Zeiss lenses in Cyber-shot® cameras use special coatings to cut down internal reflections. The Carl Zeiss lenses designed for the a100 Digital SLR go even further. They feature optical elements with the Carl Zeiss T-star coatings. These coatings reduce internal reflections at the glass-to-air surfaces. This suppresses lens "flare" or "ghosting" that can sap an image of its contrast and punch. The T* coatings mean 52% less reflection than a standard Carl Zeiss® lens - and an impressive 82% less reflection than a conventional lens. You get notably more natural, more vibrant images. Optical zoom lens Greater freedom in composition, including the ability to get close to your subject or pull back for a wider view. Optical zoom lenses set you free. You can zoom in tight on distant subjects, great for shooting children's sports or recital performances. For example, the full telephoto position of the DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 brings you incredibly close (15x zoom at 465mm, 35mm equivalent). A mild telephoto setting (about 100mm) is especially flattering for portraits, because it enables your subject to fill the frame while you stand back far enough for a natural perspective. Finally, you can use full wide, to pull back for scenic vistas or CAMERA SYSTEMS Wide 3x 9x 15x group photos. Unlike digital zoom, optical zoom always delivers the full performance of the camera's image sensor. Compact zoom lens The quality of Carl Zeiss optics and the power of up to 5x zoom in ultra-small, ultra sleek cameras. Sony has an extensive background in microelectronics and micromechanics. You can see this expertise in products like Sony camcorders and ultra-slim laptop computers. So it's no wonder that we have our own, unique perspective on zoom lens design. A compact zoom lens needs to incorporate zoom optics, zoom mechanics, shutter and focus actuators. But Sony has found ways to slim these lenses down considerably. That's why so many Cyber-shot® cameras incorporate an optical zoom lens that combines good zoom range and good lens speed in a design that retracts into the camera body. And some Sony cameras go further still. Starting with the precision of the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar® design, Sony created a folding-optical-path lens for the DSC-T1. You'll find that same inspired design on today's T Series cameras. It never needs to extend forward from the camera body. 6x The 15x zoom of the DSC-H7 gets you even closer to the action. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) A study in macro focus. Actual digital photo taken with the DSC-T10. ISO 125, shutter speed 1/100, aperture f3.5. The 5x optical zoom lens of the DSC-T100 is arranged vertically on the right side of the camera body in this cutaway view. Not only is the lens small; it never extends forward from the camera body. Macro photography Breath-taking views of the small, small world. Sony makes it easy to capture beautiful images of small objects like jewelry, coins, stamps and flowers. Macro focus mode enables you to focus on objects just a few inches away from the lens! additional possibilities. The amazing Sony Magnifying Glass mode enables you to position the camera a mere 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) away from the subject! So you can see (and capture) detail not visible to the naked eye. The degree of image magnification depends on the distance from the camera to the subject. Normal photography, macro photography and Magnifying Glass mode. (Sample photos for illustration purposes.) Magnifying Glass mode Capture detail not visible to the naked eye. Film cameras are limited in their macro focus modes. Because Sony is not limited by the film camera mentality, we see 19