Sony shows new SLRs, expands lens range

LAS VEGAS--The ability to change lenses is one of the chief advantages of SLR cameras, and Sony is trying hard to build out that part of its SLR line. The company already has introduced 21 lenses, and it plans to sell more than five new lenses this year, the company said here at the Photo Marketing Association trade show.

Sony's new high-end amateur SLR, left

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

Sony's high-end SLR

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

Sony's super-telephoto and other new lenses

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

Sony telephoto lens prototypes

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)

At a news conference Thursday, Sony described three of the lenses in some detail--a 24-70mm F/2.8, a 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 and an 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3. But at its booth, it showed eight new models.

The models are a large-aperture standard zoom, a large-aperture wide-angle zoom, a super-telephoto zoom, a super-telephoto with a fixed focal length, a regular telephoto with a fixed focal length, a wide-angle with a fixed focal length, a regular telephoto zoom and a large-aperture wide-angle with a fixed focal length.

Sony only began selling its first SLR, the Alpha 100, last year. Sony also plans two higher-end SLRs, a model for high-end amateur photographers to arrive this year and a professional-level flagship model to arrive later.

The Japanese company showed both models at the show.