Despite my denial of such matters ... my ability to manually focus with expediency is waning.
Presently, all my "good glass" is manual focus in the form of alts (Oly, Mamiya, Leica, C/Y, Nikon and Canon TS-E). So far, I only have what I'd call reputable AF glass in the form of Canon 100/2 and my Sigma 100-300/4. I've got a couple other AF's but they are mostly bang for the buck (i.e. inexpensive) snapshot convenience. My "good glass" investment to date has been mostly in the alt's.
If you had to put your Alt glass on the shelf (i.e. limited use only), how would you outfit yourself with AF glass?
Just to make it interesting, let's say you've got a $3,500 +/- budget for glass (not a lot I know). I'm on Canon platform (EF) but could go with a second/different platform if properly compelled. Curious to the Alt Forum's thoughts on AF / mainstream (blasphemy, I know) glass for those who have a bent toward the IQ of the alts.
Ernie Aubert wrote:
In what focal lengths? And zoom or fixed focal length? And what about maximum apertures?
Your fav's / how you would build a kit ... it's all fair game.
Uber-fast glass isn't likely in the equation. I can go either zoom or fixed and will likely have a mix, and I currently have glass from 17mm - 600mm. and can "jump" FL's and fill gaps with MF/alts, so it's not as though I'm trying to build the whole range in AF. I'm guessing that something like the 400/5.6 will be my long AF glass and maybe the 24/1.4 on the wide end with the 70-200/4 in the middle.
I skipped out on the 17-40 and 16-35 for my UWA's opting for the Oly primes instead. The Contax N might be worth visiting on the wide side.
I tend to prefer "well corrected" vs. uber-fast .... but, it's all fair game. Mostly trying to build a list of contenders that Alt minded folks find to be "worthy" glass in the AF realm.
I'd leave the alt world and enter the Canon Zoom territory.
The new 24-70 and 70-200, while heavy, are pretty amazing image quality.
If you've got a 100/2 and a full frame Canon, I'd get the new 24-70 and Sigma 35. The Sigma 100-300 still sells for a good price. You could get yourself the 70-200 F4IS from the sale of your other lens. That is, of course, if you favor IS instead of range.
24-70, 35/1.4, 100/2, 70-200 would be a fine kit with great glass.
No bias here. I loved my sigma primes to supplement my Zeiss glass when I had a 5D2.
plasticmotif wrote:
That is, of course, if you favor IS instead of range.
I favor IQ over most other things ... explains the bevy of primes I stock in my alts.
Way, way "back in the day", my first kit (bargain basement I know) was Sigma 28/2.8 macro, Nikon 75-150/3.5 Series E, Tamron 300/5.6, so I have an affinity toward primes and "short zooms", as well as gaps. (I also carried a 50/1.8 but never shot it.) I'm still not much of a 50's shooter.
I'd do the opposite and buy an EVF ff, with which you'd have no trouble focusing by both having magnification and peakign. If you can live with APS-C, go NEX.
It looks like you already have one of my favorite "autofocus" wides in your profile. Set your Oly 21/3.5 at f11, focus point at 6ft, and shoot away --- everything is automatically in focus!
xbarcelo wrote:
I'd do the opposite and buy an EVF ff, with which you'd have no trouble focusing by both having magnification and peakign. If you can live with APS-C, go NEX.
Well, I like the Tokina 16-28 for UWA, and the new Sigma 35 f1.4, and the 135 f2L, and the 70-200 f4L IS. The Sigma 50 f1.4, if you get one that focuses properly for you, is pretty darn good - really smooth bokeh is icing on its cake.
RustyBug wrote:
EVF FF ... hmmm, such as
So far just the A99, this time next year there should be at least one more in the FF NEX, Rumors are Samsung may join the FF craze.
Kent, most people outside the very small a99/RX1 tent cannot believe this, but the ever evolving EVFs will extend vision-impaired and normal vision people's photographic 'career', no doubt in my mind about this. Image magnification (and peaking on occasions that benefit from it) basically enables this:
See your subject, press magnify (two levels are available) and focus your manual focus lens exactly from the sensor feed. It's actually hard to miss, and it aids your creative vision as well. Great for close up work and tele alike, and you see in good light: bokeh, dof, and exposure and can change them and see changes reflected real time in the EVF feed. Not perfect (yet) but in most light, a revelation, even stopped down - you know what you are getting.
Of course you are still reliant on Sony/Minolta (and CZ) AF lens if you want that as well. Looking at your list, all your CY and Leica 90mm can work using Leitax (chipped for IBIS), Mamiya 645 via a Mirex TS adapter. The camera uses the same sensor as the RX1, and has very good IQ, nobody complains about the files - I'll leave it at that. PM me for more, if interested. I refuse to use an OVF again, ever, I lose too many shots with manual focus.
You might want, as an alternative, to look into NEX7, for which three new AF CZ lenses are coming soon, they look very promising. The NEX EVF is as good technically, though I feel that the FF sensor real estate gathers more light and so has that basic advantage.
Kent, I decided to do just that - astigmatism is a real b**** - and ended up selling most of my Canon kit and going with a Nikon body and glass. I have not felt like using my NEX kit for quite some time, and it will probably be next to go, in the interest of possibly funding another Nikon glass purchase.
