I USED A ZEISS BATIS 135mm LENS
I can see part of King’s Inns from my bedroom which is great and I am lucky to have a pleasant little park on my doorstep.
Today I use a Zeiss Batis 135mm lens which does impose some limitations. However a 135mm lens is good for a surprisingly broad variety of shots, as this telephoto range tends to include a wide aperture. This makes 135mm a great choice for portraits of people and pets, landscapes, street photography and products. There are also specialised 135mm macro and tilt shift lenses available.
King’s Inns is one of the most important examples of Ireland’s Georgian architectural heritage. The eminent architect James Gandon, who had earlier designed the Custom House and the Four Courts in Dublin, was commissioned by the benchers in 1800 to design a new building for the Society on Henrietta Street. This followed the decline of the original premises that belonged to the Inns on the site of the present Four Courts.
On 1 August 1800, the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Clare laid the first stone of the hall and library. By 1804 the structure of the hall was almost complete.
In 1813 it was agreed that the unfurnished library wing should be sold to the Office of Public Works for use as a record office. Francis Johnston, architect, supervised this work and also completed the cupola (to Gandon’s design). It was he who designed and erected the entrance archway from Henrietta Street.
The Library Building, also in Henrietta Street, was erected between 1826 and 1832 to a design by Frederick Darley. This building is a good example of Greek revival architecture. It contains a magnificent reading room with a splendid balcony.
The Society also owns one of the fine Georgian houses on Henrietta Street and within the parkland there are seven cottages, six of which have been refurbished for rental purposes.
The properties of King’s inns are listed buildings and are registered with the Charities Regulators of Ireland. Great care is taken to ensure that they are conserved in accordance with the standards laid down by architectural historians, conservationists and other professional advisers.
NEWS – VIEWS – UPDATES
I will not be buying and equipment during 2024 even though I am very interested in the new Sony A9III. As I have decided not to upgrade from my current Sony A7RIV to the A7RV I may try to hold out until the Sony A1 MkII becomes available.
I am considering the possibility of getting Fujifilm GFX 100 Mark II Camera Body but I will not be in a position to do so until the second half of 2025 and if I do I hope get the Fujifilm GF 30mm F5.6 T/S Tilt&Shift Lens.
Sony Electronics Announces a New Compact FE 24-50mm F2.8 G Standard Zoom Lens Designed for High Performance and Portability
A large-aperture, constant F2.8 standard zoom full-frame E-mount lens that delivers outstanding end-to-end image quality in a compact and lightweight form facto
February 21, 2024
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 21, 2024 – Sony Electronics is pleased to announce the release of the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G standard zoom lens (SEL2450G), which is compatible with Sony’s α™ (Alpha™) cameras. The 72nd addition to the full-frame E-mount lens lineup is extremely compact and lightweight yet maintains high-resolution performance synonymous with Sony’s G lens series. With a constant F2.8 maximum aperture, it produces stunning bokeh and enables creative flexibility across the entire zoom range. The versatile 24mm to 50mm focal range, coupled with its compact form, enables users to capture a myriad of scenes including portraits, everyday snapshots, landscapes, and video.
“The demand for light and compact standard zoom lenses is increasing, and our new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G lens offers a F2.8 standard zoom option for creators seeking portability, without a sacrifice. It is a lens option ready to go anywhere,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is our first-ever full-frame F2.8 standard zoom lens in the G series lens lineup. Bringing the ever-popular F2.8 aperture from our G Master series into the G series is yet another example of our dedication to building lens options for every level of creator.”
Outstanding Optical Performance in a Compact Form Factor
The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s design is compact with a filter diameter of φ67 mm, maximum diameter of 74.8 mm (about 2.94 in), length of 92.3 mm (about 3.63 in), and weight of approximately 440 g (about 15.52 oz). Despite its compact size, the lens maintains exceptional image quality throughout all focal lengths. This is made possible by the incorporation of four aspherical lenses and two elements of Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass. These advanced elements effectively minimize chromatic aberrations, resulting in high-resolution performance that remains consistent from the center to the corners of the frame.
The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s 11-blade circular aperture and well-controlled spherical aberration creates the beautiful, smooth bokeh known to the G lens series. Painstaking optical optimization has achieved impressive close-up performance at all focal lengths. It has a minimum shooting distance of 0.19 m (AF) at the wide end, and a maximum magnification of 0.30 x (AF) for detailed shooting.
Fast and Precise Autofocus Capabilities for Both Stills and Video
The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is equipped with two linear motors to achieve extremely fast, precise, and quiet focusing with AF (autofocus). It also supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to 120 frames per second, a feature offered on Sony’s newest full-frame mirrorless camera, the Alpha 9 IIIi.
The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G’s AF capabilities make it advantageous for video production, especially when shooting in high frame rates like 4K 120p or FHD 240p movie recordingii. It supports in-camera Active Mode Image Stabilizationiii for fast paced shooting and is compatible with the Focus Breathing Compensation feature native to select Sony Alpha camerasiv. In addition, the Linear Response MF offers intuitive and precise manual focus adjustments, a feature beneficial for filmmakingiv.
Enhanced Controllability and Reliability
The FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is equipped with intuitive controls designed to offer ultimate operability. These features include a customizable focus hold button, aperture ring, aperture click ON/OFF switch, and focus mode switch.
Additionally, the lens’ front element is fluorine coated, which effectively repels and effortlessly eliminates fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants. This dust and moisture resistant design makes it a reliable option for any environment.
Pricing and Availability
The new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G will be available in May 2024 for approximately $1,099.99 USD and $1,499.99 CAD. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.
A product video on the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/pC0shkwJ7b0
For more information about FE 24-50mm F2.8 G, please visit: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/all-e-mount/p/sel2450g
Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new FE 24-50mm F2.8 G and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony α – Alpha brand
Today, Sigma introduced two groundbreaking new lenses: the 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art, the world’s first full-frame F1.4 fisheye, and the amazingly compact and lightweight 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports. Both lenses set new bars for performance and image quality on Sony E-mount and L-Mount cameras, empowering photographers to explore creative frontiers far and wide.