#SONY E MOUNT LENSES FULL FRAME MANUAL#

The Imatest results above were published by for these lenses at f/5.6. The Sony 50mm was shot from 90 inches distance and the Sigma 45mm shot from 81 inches to make the images about equal size. These are crops from the center of the frame. Sony 50mm at f/5.6, Imatest = 4,540 lines (left) and Sigma 45mm at f/5.6, Imatest = 5,188 lines (right). Indeed I could not perceive a difference in the test below. I’ve often suspected that I would not be able to perceive a difference between lenses that test quite differently. Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* About Sharpness Stopped down suits my shooting style perfectly.ĭespite Zeiss’s legendary performance and the beautiful build quality of this lens, I can’t see any advantage (other than EXIF contacts) over the cheap 7 Artisans 35mm, which offers the convenience of half the weight and bulk. But he also wrote that it’s superb when stopped down.

#SONY E MOUNT LENSES FULL FRAME MANUAL#

Phillip Reeve, who has tested more manual lenses than anyone, gave this lens a middling review. None of the other manual lenses in this article have that. A nice feature of top-tier manual lenses, from Zeiss and Voigtlander, is electrical contacts that transmit EXIF information. Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* (full frame, 340 grams, $1,299 or less): After enjoying the inexpensive manual focus lenses above, I wanted to try a top-tier manual. It’s very sharp, but so are the cheapies above. Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 (APS-C, 303 grams, $299): After I’d bought a few Chinese bargains below, I wondered how a higher-grade manual focus lens would work. Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 MacroħArtisans Photoelectric 25mm f/1.8 (APS-C, 138 grams, $79) and 7 Artisans 35mm f/1.2 APS-C (157 grams, $119): These bargains and the TT above are well made, compact, and sharp. But the new Laowa below is challenging that. It’s razor-sharp and one of my favorites. Unlike some macros, autofocus is fast at any distance. Like all macros, it works well at any distance. Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8 Macro (290 grams, $999): This is the one I grab because I like the light weight. They gather fuzz from leaves to line their nest. Would I buy it again? No, it’s too heavy and 50mm macro works for me. One nice feature of the 90mm though is that a quick pull of the focusing ring (back towards the camera) switches to manual focus and it feels just like real manual focus, unlike rubbery focus by wire. Consequently, I mostly grab my 50mm f/2.8 macro when I want macro and have found that the 50mm’s working distance is entirely adequate. I’ll confirm the raves about sharpness, but I’ve found that its weight is an issue. I chose it for its sharpness and because many writers stress the need for working distance from the subject.

Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS (602 grams, $1,048): This is widely reviewed as one of the sharpest lenses available at any distance. Agreed, but I prefer autofocus on moving subjects, like bees. It’s generally thought that manual focus is the preferred way to shoot macro. This leads to the realization that many conventional lenses can focus close enough for macro or close-up photography. Potato Bush Flower with 1/2mm green aphids show the macro capability. But despite its great performance and wide range, I’m not using it much because I don’t like the weight. It out-resolves many high-quality primes. Then this breakthrough lens changed that. Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (575 grams, $729): We’ve long had to put up with the inferior sharpness of wide range “superzooms”. But I returned mine because I wanted a lighter zoom to walk around with. Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS (663 grams, $1,198): This is one of the sharpest wide-range zooms in existence. It too has now been retired in favor of the 28-60. Nevertheless, this lens’ light weight and low price are attractive. However, my tests confirmed published Imatest results that the Zeiss is slightly sharper. It’s dismissed as a “kit lens” but, surprisingly, DXOmark rates it higher than the above Zeiss 4.0. Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (295 grams, $398 or less): My first full frame zoom.

Sony e mount lenses full frame