p.117 #3 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
I've found that it needs to be stopped down to f4 for decent sharpness, and it often seems AF performance. Wide open it sort of has that typical conversion lens smearing of the corners. F8 or ideally f11 though really sharpen up nicely, though obviously stopping way down like that limits the usefulness of it to daytime and/tripod
For the most part I don't think it makes sense for an RX1 user to spend $200+ for one, unless you've also got a GR, or, you really, really want to get a bit wider in good light/tripod use.
I bought it for my GR first and foremost, and was just curious to see how it worked since its a 49mm thread. Really exceeded expectations though and does work pretty well.
I'd be more inclined to just shoot it on a GR though for a true 21mm equiv as that is more useful overall (and not much more to carry if your already willing to carry the GW3), but figured results were intriguing and figured worth sharing with the RX1 user community here.
p.117 #4 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
millsart wrote:
I've found that it needs to be stopped down to f4 for decent sharpness, and it often seems AF performance. Wide open it sort of has that typical conversion lens smearing of the corners. F8 or ideally f11 though really sharpen up nicely, though obviously stopping way down like that limits the usefulness of it to daytime and/tripod
what about the center? i wouldn't really be using the corners or even edges and definitely not AF for this. i admit i've never used a conversion lens, so i have no idea what to expect. i'm not looking for landscape sharpness, but rather large aperture and "character".
p.117 #5 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
sebboh wrote:
what about the center? i wouldn't really be using the corners or even edges and definitely not AF for this. i admit i've never used a conversion lens, so i have no idea what to expect. i'm not looking for landscape sharpness, but rather large aperture and "character".
I just quickly tried it on my RX1 for the first time and it's definitely not usable at f2. The whole image is a soft glowing mess. As you turn the aperture ring you see all getting normal looking on the LCD.
p.117 #6 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
Can't get it to focus at f2.0, at f2.8 its kind of has a lost contrast veil over everything, by f4 its pretty sharp in the center and the AF seems to work well. f2.8 or maybe f3.5 could be workable if you don't care about the edges. Will have to try to test it a bit more tomorrow with better light. Initial impressions are the results/usability aren't too promising though.
What I'd suggest for you, is the much, much cheaper Nikon WC-68, which is a 0.68x conversion lens. Its a 46mm thread, so you need a step up 46-49 adapter. Its about the exact same size/weight as the GW3.
Unlike the GW3, the corners never get totally sharp even stopped down, however, this isn't as much of an issue if you just care about central sharpness. It actually will AF even wide open, though very low contrast and kind of soft, f2.8 or 3.5 are pretty usable though and f4 looks pretty darn sharp in the center. Its giving you about 21mm-ish FoV as well, so pretty dramatic increase in width. If you like dark vignetted corners anyways, might not be that noticeable.
The thickness of the step up right might affect the focus a bit too. On my X100, I needed to have a UV filter with no glass "spacer" to get it to work. May need to give that a try on the RX1 as well. Still never got perfect corners on the X100 either though. Just a bit too wide of conversion factor I think.
Will see if I can find some more time to experiment with it tomorrow
p.117 #8 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
Quick update for you, played with the conversion lens a bit more and while the WC68 is indeed wider, the transition from sharp to smeared is kind of pronounced. You can pick those up for $30 or less typically so may be worth trying still, but I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. Might be somewhat useful if you want a sharp center with purposely soft corners though, ala some iPhone app processing.
The GW3 works a bit better, but does need to be stopped down to f4, which I couldn't really get around. Decent increase in FoV and the corners are softer but not quite as apparent as the WC68. It all and all works better optically, but probably not $200+ useful, unless you really wanted a 26mm f4.0 lens with poor corner performance. It does that rather well
p.117 #13 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
Thank you for this conversion lens test!! Very useful. I've been researching a number of converters over this past week and your post has convinced me to go with Rocoh's. Two questions:
- how much does the adapter weigh?
- what about the GW2 adapter, it seems to be the more readily available online? Is that the newest model?
Any chance to post high-res or raw files on Dropbox? Would be super helpful to check out corner sharpness.
p.117 #14 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
No problem, always like to contribute to the forum things I think others may find of some interest, so glad you found it useful
PM me your email and I can send you a full rez file
As for the weight, about 8oz or so, its a fairly solid hunk of metal and glass, and you do feel a change in balance of the camera a little bit, but nothing too bad. I have a grip on mine so it didn't really bother me.
Threads of the GW3 and the RX1 both are metal as well so I don't think there is much risk for wear/tear assuming you are careful taking it on/off. I worried a little about the weight on the lens barrel but that seems quite solid with no wobble or anything. May not have been designed for more weight than a filter on there though so use due caution, maybe not the best idea to walk around it all day etc, who knows really.
As for the GW2, I doubt it would work as it was made for a much smaller p&s style sensor. I'm frankly amazed the image circle is big enough for 35mm FF
p.117 #19 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread
rittrato wrote:
Very nice Sebboh, are your BW shots straight from the camera or do you use another software like Silver EFX?
i don't shoot jpegs, but i have a couple of b&w presets in LR that i made (as well as a sepia and dual toned one). typically i shoot b&w with the camera set to b&w mode and have LR automatically apply my main b&w preset to the raw on import. then i just do a little file tweaking (or not).
