Sony shooters will find fewer markdowns on camera bodies this Prime Day than in earlier years. Lenses are another matter. Imaging Resource’s deal roundup, published June 24, says the better buying is on glass, especially from ZEISS and Viltrox.
Bodies
The ZV-E1 is the one to look at first if you want a full-frame camera you can carry every day. It’s small. Think of it as a vlogger’s body with a big sensor: it handles stills and video, and it suits travel and hybrid shooting. Its sensor is a 12.1-megapixel full-frame Exmor R chip tuned for 4K, with 10-bit 4:2:2 recording and 5-axis in-body stabilization.
Filmmakers get the FX2, one of the newest cameras in Sony’s Cinema Line. It has a 33-megapixel full-frame sensor, an S-Log3 photo mode that can apply a LUT, and a 3.68m-dot OLED viewfinder that tilts from 0 to 90 degrees. An AI processing unit drives the stabilization and the subject recognition that guides autofocus and framing. It’s built for video, but the roundup says stills shooters who move between photo and motion work could use it too.
Other bodies on sale include the a7 III, with a 24.2-megapixel BSI sensor, dual card slots and a larger battery than its predecessor, and the FX30, an APS-C cinema camera for newer filmmakers. A compact vlog camera with a 1-inch sensor and an F2 lens, a 20mm ultra-wide view and a flip-out screen for selfies is also discounted.
Lenses
This is where the roundup says the shopping gets interesting. Discounts cover both Sony and third-party E-mount lenses.
The ZEISS Otus ML 85mm F/1.4 is the headliner, a portrait lens with a classic focal length and premium build. Viltrox has cut prices across much of its E-mount range, from APS-C lenses to full-frame primes, and the roundup calls it a good way to add glass without a big bill. Its AF 135mm F1.8 LAB, a full-frame telephoto with a 0.72m minimum focus distance, is on the list.
Sony’s own lenses appear too: the FE 50mm f/1.4 GM, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, a 70-350mm telephoto zoom for APS-C and an 11mm F1.8 ultra-wide prime that stays the same length while it focuses.
