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Sony joins the wireless lighting fun and unveils a new full-frame f/1.4 lens

By Marcus Wong - on 19 Jul 2016, 4:20pm

Sony joins the wireless lighting fun and unveils a new full-frame f/1.4 lens

Strobists on the Sony system just got a big boost, as Sony has just announced the launch of a new radio-controlled lighting system. The system consists of the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander and the FA-WRR1 wireless radio receiver, and has a maximum range of 30m. 

Control up to 15 flash units right from your camera.

With this system, you’ll be able to control up to 15 separate flashes in up to five groups in TTL, Manual, or Group mode, so you can truly experiment with lighting ratios to your heart’s content. Shooting mode, flash ratio, and exposure compensation can be easily adjusted on the FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander itself, so you won’t even have to move from your camera.

There's a sync port on the FA-WRR1 receiver, so you should be able to use it to trigger a studio strobe too.

Flash levels can be controlled over 25 steps in 1/3 EV step increments, and the system will support flash sync speeds up to 1/250s while offering high speed sync (HSS). Being a fully radio-based system, photographers will no longer have to worry about strong sunlight or no line-of-sight; two of the biggest problems with IR triggering. It is also dust and moisture resistant to better handle outdoor use.

The new system will be available at all Sony Stores, Sony Centres and selected Sony authorized dealers from Q3 2016, but pricing has yet to be released.

The Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA offers yet another quality option for Sony photographers.

Meanwhile, the latest full-frame E-mount lens has also just been announced – the Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA (model SEL50F14Z). It’s a 50mm “standard” prime lens that promises corner to corner sharpness across all apertures, even wide open at f/1.4! 

The lens is built with high precision AA (Advanced Aspherical) and ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements that greatly reduce the effects of spherical and chromatic aberration. Being a Zeiss lens, the Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA also gets Zeiss T* coating for minimal flare and ghosting. 

The lens is equipped with a ring-drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) system, allowing for fast, precise focusing. The silent operation also makes it highly suitable for video work, while the 11-bladed circular aperture should make for beautiful bokeh effects. 

The Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA will be available at all authorized Sony resellers from August 2017, but pricing information has again yet to be released, so we’ll update this news as soon as we get word.

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