p.2 #1 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
Phillip, thank you for your thoughts and comments in your blog. Although early to really make any firm conclusions, I have now cancelled my order for the FE 24-70, which had just arrived this afternoon. I will keep with a few, FE 55 and 35, and M lenses that really work well for now. The A7r lens combo's to date are still light and easy, and I wish to keep it this way. For now, unless the lens is exceptional I will wait. Fortunately I have the 24 Lux and 75 Lux. Many thanks!!
p.2 #2 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
I appreciate the work Phillip has done.
That said I'm surprised by some of the reactions. Is it a stellar 24mm prime? No, of course not. While I think it's still too early to judge, I don't see anything worse than the Nikon 24-70 f2.8 optically so far. And that lens is a lot more expensive. I don't know if I'm missing something here but why would anyone expect this to be better than DSLR equivalents? Seems pretty inline with what I would have expected.
p.2 #3 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
The reaction is the result on us seeing images from prime lenses on our cameras for the last 2 months. Our eyes have become accustomed to a higher standard. This zoom might turn out to be comparable to other standard zooms.
p.2 #4 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
bcaslis wrote:
I appreciate the work Phillip has done.
That said I'm surprised by some of the reactions. Is it a stellar 24mm prime? No, of course not. While I think it's still too early to judge, I don't see anything worse than the Nikon 24-70 f2.8 optically so far.
Oh, I do. The Nikkor sharpens up in the corners when you stop it down. This one appears not to.
p.2 #5 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
lumis beans wrote:
How are the Canon and Nikon 24-70 2.8 equivalents @ 24?
Don't know much about the Nikon other than that is has quite severe CA at 24 mm,
The new Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC delivers very good corners already at f/4. The Center resolution is very good, midframe is good, and corners very good (relatively).
The huge thing about the Tamron is the exceptionally low CA. We are talking lower than the Distagon Z* 21/2.8. We are talking Distagon Z* 25/2 low or Canon TS-E 24 II low.
The distortion is a bit higher than Canon and Nikon.
If size and cost is no object, the reference is the Canon 24-70 2.8 II. It is a bit sharper mid-frame than the Tamron, and the CA is almost as low.
If you stop down to f/11, the sharpness across the frame evens out between those two, and you choose between the lowest CA (Tamron) or the lowest distortion (Canon).
p.2 #6 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
snapsy wrote:
Nor very good for 70mm based on Phillip's blog. Looks like 35mm and 50mm perform well - the same focal lengths already covered by the primes
I really appreciate the tests done at 30 mm.
A well performing 35-50 zoom is not very interesting, but a 30-60 is. In fact more interesting to me than a well performing 35-70 that we already have in the C/Y.
In most cases I would pair it with a 70-200 with excellent performance at 70 mm anyway.
Zooms are not only for convenience, but for exact framing in landscape photos.
p.2 #7 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
carstenw wrote:
Oh, I do. The Nikkor sharpens up in the corners when you stop it down. This one appears not to.
Exactly. I'm okay with soft corners at f4. But not at f8. I admit that partly it's just hard for me to get excited about an f4 zoom in this range. Ultra wide or telephoto, sure.
p.2 #8 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
alundeb wrote:
The new Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC delivers very good corners already at f/4. The Center resolution is very good, midframe is good, and corners very good (relatively).
The huge thing about the Tamron is the exceptionally low CA. We are talking lower than the Distagon Z* 21/2.8. We are talking Distagon Z* 25/2 low or Canon TS-E 24 II low.
The distortion is a bit higher than Canon and Nikon.
Interesting. How is the build quality though? If it's the same as the 28-75/2.8 and 17-50/2.8, the optical performance will probably become less with use, if the lens isn't handled very delicately.
p.2 #10 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
Thanks, Phillip. Can you give us a sense on how the far right or left edge of the frame looks? Extreme corner shots are certainly telling, but I often find that the performance at the edge is a little more indicative of "real world" use...ugh, I hate using that term. Thanks!
p.2 #14 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
I don't get it. I had a so-so 18-50mm f/2.8 Sigma lens for APS-C (that took good pictures most of the time) that is probably the same size or smaller than this FE 24-70 f/4 but cost under $400. I don't understand why Sony can't design and manufacture *both* small F/4 and larger F/2.8 zoom lenses for the E-mount.
Surely with relaxed F/4 aperture and largish size (compared to Leica "M" lenses) and with "Zeiss" label they could have come up with something that beats your typical manual focus glass from two or three decades ago?
p.2 #18 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
it is mine, no loaner.
If someone shows me significantly better results from someone else I will, try to replace it, but I fear that those corners at 24mm are not a copy specific problem.
@wfrank: My Minolta 35-70 is better in the corners but I had messed around with the adapter so the contrast in my Minolta shots is really low.
p.2 #19 · Rolling review: Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 4/24-70 ZA
Do you happen to have a Nikon or Canon 24-70? it would be great to see some kind of a comparison of the same group of trees, I know I'm probably asking too much but my eyes are going after looking at all these tree branches. I sold my Canon 24-70 seven the long time ago but I don't remember it being any better than these images.It also wasn't one of the new series 2 lenses. The corners look like they're going soft extremely far out on the frame. My lens should be coming into the dealer in a few days so I will take my Nikon D800e and do a direct comparison with the two 24-70's if someone doesn't do it before then. Thanks for all your hard work on doing these tests!
