Orders stack up for Sony’s Zeiss-branded 24mm prime

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posted Monday, March 5, 2012 at 6:45 PM EST

Sony's Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA lens. Photo provided by Sony. Click to read our Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA review!Photographers eager to get their hands on Sony's Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA lens for E-mount cameras may be finding it rather challenging to pick one up. (If you're among their number, take heart, though: our recent review of the lens over at sister site SLRgear.com suggests it's worthy of the struggle!)

A statement published last Friday on the Japanese-language Sony website reveals the reason: demand is apparently outstripping supply for this model. Announced alongside the Sony NEX-5N compact system camera last August, the Sonnar T* 24mm f/1.8 lens started shipping in early December, but almost three months later, the company has yet to catch up with orders in its home market.

Although there's not been an official statement made in the US market, the situation here unsurprisingly looks similar: an informal check of several major US photocentric retailers found every one listing the 24mm f/1.8 as temporarily out of stock.

Sony Japan's statement apologizes for the time taken to fulfil orders, and assures customers that the company is doing its best to meet demand for the lens.