mco_970 wrote:
Ok. Exif says they are taken 5 minutes apart. Not sure why lighting would change significantly. But your conclusion is as reasonable as any other.
Ahem - the lighting on the sleeve changed dramatically the moment the lady moved her arm .
FlyPenFly wrote:
I bet the 24 1.8 will shine in mid to close range.
Yes, probably so but for the money and speed, it should be more than a one trick pony. If it was a 1.4, then I could buy the idea that it's intended for a specific type of shooting but at 1.8 on APS at 1K, it should not suffer the optical issues it seems to imo.
Smiert Spionam wrote:
I still think the kit lens is fantastic for the price. It's plenty sharp wide open at 55mm, which is its weakest spot. Works for me.
I hope you are right about that. I need to try my 2nd copy of the kit wide open at the long end. From the limited shooting I've done with it, it seems quite a bit sharper than the first copy.
Its one of perhaps two sites that I actually trust for real world use opinions since they're actually accomplished photographers.
Not amateurs moonlighting aka Huff, Rockwell, Lloyd.
Not review sites that have a very limited review scope aka Slrgear, lensreview, IR, etc.
Well, at least he found the abundant flare and fringing the lens seems to exhibit. He also does not even show anything remotely close to the corner on his crops.
The lens looks decent to me, but certainly not at the level I would expect from a Zeiss, particularly on APS at 1K. It looks like an overall average performing, $500 or so lens to me which exhibits better color and contrast than the very inexpensive kit lens (really, the only faults I found with the kit lens myself).
mco_970 wrote:
I hope you are right about that. I need to try my 2nd copy of the kit wide open at the long end. From the limited shooting I've done with it, it seems quite a bit sharper than the first copy.
I suspect there is quite a bit of variation with the kit lens given the dramatically differing opinions one often sees. The copy I owned was quite amazing really, the only minor knock being flatter color and contrast.
p.5 #10 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
FlyPenFly wrote:
My kit lens was pretty contrasty and colorful but that was in daylight.
I guess I should have qualified that statement...in comparison to most Zeiss, Leica and the better CV glass! With the kit zoom, I often found myself adding saturation and tweaking the contrast, something I seldom feel a need to do with some of the better lenses. Certainly not a big deal though given it's price point and versatility.
p.5 #11 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
Tariq Gibran wrote:
The lens looks decent to me, but certainly not at the level I would expect from a Zeiss, particularly on APS at 1K. It looks like an overall average performing, $500 or so lens to me which exhibits better color and contrast than the very inexpensive kit lens (really, the only faults I found with the kit lens myself).
Just curious - what price point do you think this lens will settle at? Do Zeiss lens prices ever drop? I don't remember seeing that happen, but maybe it will since it's Sony branded.
p.5 #12 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
Tariq Gibran wrote:
[I suspect there is quite a bit of variation with the kit lens given the dramatically differing opinions one often sees. The copy I owned was quite amazing really, the only minor knock being flatter color and contrast.
I shot a few around the house with the kit at 55 and wide open while I made coffee , and they weren't soft like the first copy. Def. lacking in contrast, but not inherently unsharp.
p.5 #15 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
sebboh wrote:
this is what i've been most curious about since my use for the lens would be primarily people indoors (and i don't like AF), thanks.
Herb has a different opinion about it, I believe. It's just your typical fly-by-wire focusing... Might drive you nucking futs, might not. I much prefer a nice smooth helicoid for MF.
p.5 #16 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
FlyPenFly wrote:
Zeiss lens prices definitely drop over time.
I think she meant new prices. I have not seen the price of new Zeiss lenses drop. Usually they go up a bit. That has happened with both the Sony ZA's (except for the occasional rebate) and the manual Z*s overall.
p.5 #18 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
AhamB wrote:
I believe it's called focus by wire. Fly by wire is related to electronic control of airplanes -- no flying involved with lenses, hopefully.
"Of course, while the fly-by-wire E-mount lenses can tell the camera when focus is being adjusted, this isn't possible with A-mount glass, so the MF Assist function must be manually triggered when needed. "
p.5 #19 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
Tariq Gibran wrote:
I think she meant new prices. I have not seen the price of new Zeiss lenses drop. Usually they go up a bit. That has happened with both the Sony ZA's (except for the occasional rebate) and the manual Z*s overall.
Right, I'm meaning from introduction to a year or five out. I have not been in Sony's camp long enough to know what their lens prices tend to do.
p.5 #20 · NEX 5N - samples of 18-55 at 24 V. ZA 24
One note on the MF on the 24 E, it's VERY sensitive to focus ring speed, slow right down and I find MF to be very precise, but move it at the speed you'd normally focus a MF lens and you'll see the Hysteresis problem Lloyd describes.
It's kinda wonky until you get used to it. Then it's brilliant. A quick nudge of the ring with move focus significantly quicker than any mechanical ring and you can adjust very precisely if you just take it slow. The change in focus speed is a lot more noticeable than on 4/3rds or m43 lenses.
Personally I've no regrets with the 24 E. I like it alot, but it's designed for exactly the sort of shooting I want to do with it, ie short/mid range wide-aperture work.
I much prefer a nice smooth helicoid for MF.