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Archive 2015 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!

  
 
Tariq Gibran
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p.25 #1 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


uhoh7 wrote:
My focus hit rate for these skiing shots is 50% of what I get with the M9


I'm sure part of it has to do with familiarity but shooting with an EVF finder in high contrast, white snowy situations sounds like one of the worst case scenarios for this viewing type. First you have the contrast/DR issue and secondly you have to deal with any EVF/LV lag when shooting action. I would think any optical finder solution would be preferable in this situation.




Mar 01, 2015 at 08:20 AM
hiepphotog
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p.25 #2 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


charles.K wrote:
Another observation that has surprised me is with the Loxia 35 with strong back-lighting @ f/2 there is considerable CA with the A7II, and is negligible at f/2.8. However from some more testing this morning (sorry no direct comparisons.. yet) that with the A7r Modified there is virtually no CA with the Loxia at f/2.0. Personally for myself using the lens for portraits at f/2.0 is great, as there is no correction for CA needed in high key/backlit shots. Yet with the A7II there is considerable CA at f/2 that needs to be corrected in post.

I would be interested
...Show more

Very interesting observation Charles. By CA, I assume you mean the purple fringing, and not the bokeh LoCA. It seems that digital sensor does introduce more PF than on film.

My A7s was sent in about three weeks ago. The long wait was mainly because of waiting for a new filter stack. Originally, it would go back to my cousin so he can finish his video project. But he has a change in plan so I'll get it back sooner, hopefully by the end of this coming week. I will definitely post my usual aperture series test (before and after) for the ZM 15, Biogon G 21 and 28 and possibly test out the theory of reduced PF. Imagining the Hologon 16 on this baby....



Mar 01, 2015 at 09:55 AM
naturephoto1
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p.25 #3 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Ultimately I expect to have 2 Sony FF E-mount camera bodies and I am probably going to wait for modifying my A7r until we have more word on the A7rII and the A9 cameras. I expect that I will purchase one of the new cameras or a 2nd A7r depending on what Sony releases sometime later this year or next.

In the meantime, I presently have 3 M mount lenses- the Leica M WATE, the Minolta CLE MC 40mm f2 M-Rokkor (which performs quite well particularly on the modified A7 series cameras), and the Leica M 90mm f2.5 Summarit lenses. I also have an extensive Leica R selection of lenses as most of you know including my 15.3 oz weight Leica R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2.

When I want to carry a smaller and lighter M mount only kit I can keep the weight down with the 3 lenses mentioned along with my A7r, the RRS L bracket, the Phigment Adapter, and the Hawk's Factory Helicoid V5 (which at present focused past infinity [I can live with that or make the adjustment, but I am not sure if all the lenses would focus to the same infinity stop]) to about 3 1/2 pounds. I suspect that carrying the 3 M mount lenses alone leave too large a gap between the 40mm and the 21mm of the WATE. I would appreciate any suggestions and comments as I am considering purchasing one of the following 28mm M mount lenses for a small and light package of 4 lenses; and no I do not expect that they will equal the performance of the R Elmarit:

1) Minolta CLE MC 28mm f2.8 M-Rokkor without the dreaded white spots. Nico has tested the lens on his modified A7r with very very good results. This would be purchased used frequently between about $425 and $500. It has the lightest weight of about 4 3/4 oz and filter size of 40.5mm.

2) Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f/2 28/2 Leica M Mount lens which could be purchased used (probably) or new. New price is $630 and the lens weighs 8.6 oz and has a filter size of 46mm.

3) Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M III which would be purchased used for considerably more than either of the other 2 options. The lens weighs 8.82 oz and has a filter size of 49mm.

4) Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M IV which like the version III would be purchased used and is the most expensive option of the 4 lenses. The lens weighs 9.2 oz and has a filter size of 46mm.

Thanks for your input.

Rich



Mar 01, 2015 at 10:40 AM
hiepphotog
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p.25 #4 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Rich, how about the ZM 28? Lighter (and possibly smaller than both of the elmarit pre-asph) than the other 3. Just as good as the Leica by most accounts


Mar 01, 2015 at 11:00 AM
nicoimages
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p.25 #5 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Wonderful weather again today in London - tested the Voigtlander 12/5.6

Works very well - this is at f8 - colour shading corrected with the Lightroom Flatfield plugin

Originals are http://www.flickr.com/photos/nico1974 my edited portofolio is here http://nicoimages.com/

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8624/16682834931_0095b20d59_h.jpg



Mar 01, 2015 at 11:34 AM
rscheffler
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p.25 #6 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


naturephoto1 wrote:
I would appreciate any suggestions and comments as I am considering purchasing one of the following 28mm M mount lenses for a small and light package of 4 lenses; and no I do not expect that they will equal the performance of the R Elmarit:

1) Minolta CLE MC 28mm f2.8 M-Rokkor without the dreaded white spots. Nico has tested the lens on his modified A7r with very very good results. This would be purchased used frequently between about $425 and $500. It has the lightest weight of about 4 3/4 oz and filter size of 40.5mm.

2) Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f/2
...Show more

I guess it depends somewhat on your expectations and intended uses for this focal length.

Charlie has the Elmarit III and his Flickr is a source for images at full M9 resolution. Perhaps he's also shot it on his modified a7? My impression of the lens, based on his images, is that it may not live up to demanding technical expectations for across-frame sharpness. It looks great centrally, but edges just never seem to fully catch up. From what I've read, the IV is supposed to be better, but not sure how it compares against the current ASPH.

I've briefly shot the CV Ultron 28/2 in an informal comparison against the ZM28 on the M9. TBH, I didn't like the CV, though it seems to have some following over at RFF. Perhaps it's more a film-shooter thing? IMO it's a non-technical lens. The ZM had much better contrast and sharpness. Like the III, the Ultron seemed handicapped by relatively weak peripheral performance, needing to be well stopped down, and even then, not amazing. Focus shift is also present, though may not be a big concern on a mirrorless camera. The ZM is centrally very sharp but also doesn't have a flat plane of focus, needing some stopping down to bring up the sides, but not to the degree of the CV.

Even the Cron is not a perfect lens, with some field curvature that requires stopping down past around f/4 for good edges, while vignetting remains somewhat present even well stopped down.



Mar 01, 2015 at 02:04 PM
naturephoto1
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p.25 #7 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


hiepphotog wrote:
Rich, how about the ZM 28? Lighter (and possibly smaller than both of the elmarit pre-asph) than the other 3. Just as good as the Leica by most accounts


---------------------------------------------

rscheffler wrote:
I guess it depends somewhat on your expectations and intended uses for this focal length.

Charlie has the Elmarit III and his Flickr is a source for images at full M9 resolution. Perhaps he's also shot it on his modified a7? My impression of the lens, based on his images, is that it may not live up to demanding technical expectations for across-frame sharpness. It looks great centrally, but edges just never seem to fully catch up. From what I've read, the IV is supposed to be better, but not sure how it compares against the current ASPH.

I've briefly shot the
...Show more

Thanks very much for the comments and suggestions thus far. My most intended usage for a 28mm lens for the 4 lens kit would mainly be for shooting landscape work and thus would expect particularly for such a high resolution camera to tripod mount the camera. Stopping down to f5.6, f8, and f11 would certainly be anticipated for this application most of the time.

Rich



Mar 01, 2015 at 03:18 PM
nicoimages
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p.25 #8 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


VC 12/5.6 @ f8

I won't lie this is a composite of around 10 image layers as I had to photoshop people off the escalators but would have never been able to take this picture with the unmodified A7R and my Leica M240 does not have a tilting screen which was a must for this type of image when you crawl on the floor...

A few more with the VC21/1.8 and Elmarit 28/2.8 ASPH to follow

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8633/16662215316_5043dace81_h.jpg



Edited on Mar 01, 2015 at 07:43 PM · View previous versions



Mar 01, 2015 at 06:21 PM
nicoimages
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p.25 #9 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


The VC 21/1.8 has always worked OK on the A7R but had to be stopped down to f8 for acceptable corners. After the modification it works very well from wide open - this image was taken at f5.6.

Originals for pixel peeping are http://www.flickr.com/photos/nico1974 my edited portofolio is here http://nicoimages.com/

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16687378241_e13155efb8_h.jpg



Mar 01, 2015 at 07:31 PM
charles.K
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p.25 #10 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


hiepphotog wrote:
Very interesting observation Charles. By CA, I assume you mean the purple fringing, and not the bokeh LoCA. It seems that digital sensor does introduce more PF than on film.

My A7s was sent in about three weeks ago. The long wait was mainly because of waiting for a new filter stack. Originally, it would go back to my cousin so he can finish his video project. But he has a change in plan so I'll get it back sooner, hopefully by the end of this coming week. I will definitely post my usual aperture series test (before and after) for
...Show more

Great shots Nico!!

Hi Hiepphotog

With regards to CA, yes I was referring to PF mainly as this is quite a pain with backlit portraits. There are many improvements with the thin filter mod with respect to the A7r and for now it is hard to test everything. Even getting the focusing nailed is a learning curve

I do look forward to your A7s being modified!




Mar 01, 2015 at 07:55 PM
Steve Spencer
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p.25 #11 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


rscheffler wrote:
I guess it depends somewhat on your expectations and intended uses for this focal length.

Charlie has the Elmarit III and his Flickr is a source for images at full M9 resolution. Perhaps he's also shot it on his modified a7? My impression of the lens, based on his images, is that it may not live up to demanding technical expectations for across-frame sharpness. It looks great centrally, but edges just never seem to fully catch up. From what I've read, the IV is supposed to be better, but not sure how it compares against the current ASPH.

I've briefly shot the
...Show more

Rich,

I think the big question is whether you want a lens that does equal your R 28 elmarit II. I think it is worth considering the M 28 elmarit ASPH. If you look at the MTFs it has a very similar profile to the R 28 elmarit II. Both have a bit of zone B dip, but the corners are strong from f/5.6 at least. The M lens has virtually no distortion and slightly higher MTFs (although even with the thinner cover glass it might not live up to these MTFs). Still from reports on this thread it does well on the modified A7r and it is truly tiny--only 180 grams plus the adapter and less than 40mm long with the adapter, and only 52mm in diameter. It "only" runs about $1,500 too, which really isn't bad considering its performance on the the modified camera might well approach the R 28 elmarit II (I'm not saying it does, but it would be worth investigating if it does, because on film it actually should actually be just a bit better).

The other lens to certainly consider is the M 28 cron ASPH. Its MTFs are clearly different from the R 28 elmarit II, but I would prefer them. What you get with the cron is virtually no zone B dip but a gradual fall off to not too bad of corners, versus the R elmarit II in which you have a bit of zone B dip but the corners and edges recover nicely. I prefer the crons weaknesses, but it is certainly reasonable to have the reverse preference. It is running about $2,200 used, so it is not a minor investment, but as a still quite small lens it would complete your package nicely.



Mar 01, 2015 at 10:50 PM
charles.K
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p.25 #12 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Hi Rich,

I have had the ZM 25/2.8, 28 Elmarit Asph, 28 Cron Asph, CV 28 Ultron, and R 28 Elmarit vII all with the M9, M240 and the R 28 Elmarit II with the A7r. My perspective was to have a documentary street lens with personality, and for landscapes I would go wider to the 21 SEM/WATE or 24 Lux Asph.

These lenses must gel with A7r and eventually having a thin filter modification to work at their best. Personally I never liked the CV 28 Ultron. The R 28 Elmarit II is very nice, but large and heavy IMO. There are considerable test results with Lloyd regarding the 28 Elmarit M mount with the A7rM.

My pick for landscape would be the ZM 25/2.8 with the A7rM. It is light and small with a MFD of 0.5m and less with the VM-E adapter makes for a great lens IMO.



Mar 01, 2015 at 11:57 PM
uhoh7
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p.25 #13 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


TY to hiepphotog and Tariq for input on improving my focusing

charles.K wrote:
Another observation that has surprised me is with the Loxia 35 with strong back-lighting @ f/2 there is considerable CA with the A7II, and is negligible at f/2.8. However from some more testing this morning (sorry no direct comparisons.. yet) that with the A7r Modified there is virtually no CA with the Loxia at f/2.0. Personally for myself using the lens for portraits at f/2.0 is great, as there is no correction for CA needed in high key/backlit shots. Yet with the A7II there is considerable CA at f/2 that needs to be corrected in post.

I would be interested
...Show more

It's interesting you mention this Charles, as the CA on my nFD 24/2 has also been greatly reduced

@Rich re the 28s:
I suggest you also consider CV 28/1.9 which has quite a few fans over the f/2 version. Note the 28 cron price is down to as low as 2400. I would forget the elmarit v3, because I know you love landscape (i confirm Ron's remarks here). The V4 is totally different and could be good, a far better prospect than the asph (it's too small for this stack I think). I suspect many of the SLR 28s will get much better with the MOD, so a cheap FD or Nikon 28/2.8 could tide you over if needed till you sort out a compact 28. The M-Rokkor to me looks only OK, and I think would be more challenged by distant landscape details. The Hex 28 might be good. The ZM28 is also an open question. In short the best 28 for the A7.mod is still an open question. It could be the 28 cron, but I need to shoot mine more to really be sure on that. But there might also be some great new performance from the smaller SLR lenses, as my own nFD 24/2's resurrection leads me to suspect. Your current Elmarit R should be better yet also

But I would beware expecting M240 like performance from the very small lenses like the asph 28. The M9 is still well ahead of the A7.mod on most wide edges: or at least that is my impression so far.

Also the FE28/2 could be a real sleeper and perform great stopped down on the un-moddified A7 rigs.

@Charles the CV 21/1.8 shot is very impressive; never seen it look so nice

Besides focus issues the A7 is also prone to shutter shake much more than M9 So for awhile I was wondering about the CV 35/1.4 (pre-asph 35 lux knock off, as Derek notes)

Well I got this one right, around f/8 could even be 5.6:

DSC02987 by unoh7, on Flickr

This is actually superior in the corners to my 40/2 shots.
If you look at the flickr mag, center frame just over the haze in the distant valley is another ridge line. That's 80 miles away.
I have to say, for this lens in this situation, the M9 might be no better, except it's pristine CCD look and feel (to me). I remember some zone issues in tests with the M9 on this lens, which led me to find a biogon. They are hard to spot here.

Derek, if the pre-asph 35 lux can do better landscape detail, I'd like to see the shot

I wonder if there is a LR lens preset which would fix the nokton's distortion in a click?



Mar 02, 2015 at 12:54 AM
naturephoto1
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p.25 #14 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Steve Spencer wrote:
Rich,

I think the big question is whether you want a lens that does equal your R 28 elmarit II. I think it is worth considering the M 28 elmarit ASPH. If you look at the MTFs it has a very similar profile to the R 28 elmarit II. Both have a bit of zone B dip, but the corners are strong from f/5.6 at least. The M lens has virtually no distortion and slightly higher MTFs (although even with the thinner cover glass it might not live up to these MTFs). Still from reports on this thread it does
...Show more

---------------------------------------------

charles.K wrote:
Hi Rich,

I have had the ZM 25/2.8, 28 Elmarit Asph, 28 Cron Asph, CV 28 Ultron, and R 28 Elmarit vII all with the M9, M240 and the R 28 Elmarit II with the A7r. My perspective was to have a documentary street lens with personality, and for landscapes I would go wider to the 21 SEM/WATE or 24 Lux Asph.

These lenses must gel with A7r and eventually having a thin filter modification to work at their best. Personally I never liked the CV 28 Ultron. The R 28 Elmarit II is very nice, but large and heavy IMO.
...Show more

---------------------------------------------

uhoh7 wrote:
TY to hiepphotog and Tariq for input on improving my focusing

It's interesting you mention this Charles, as the CA on my nFD 24/2 has also been greatly reduced

@Rich re the 28s:
I suggest you also consider CV 28/1.9 which has quite a few fans over the f/2 version. Note the 28 cron price is down to as low as 2400. I would forget the elmarit v3, because I know you love landscape (i confirm Ron's remarks here). The V4 is totally different and could be good, a far better prospect than the asph (it's too small for this stack
...Show more

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your input. I believe that the R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit may well be the best DSLR lens made in this focal length for any filter stack option now and into the future. When I posed this question I was initially considering keeping my R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2 as it is a universal lens that I could use on any filter stack as things now stand and would be into the foreseeable future. I doubt that Sony will change the stack on the upcoming A7rII, A9 or anything into the future (though anything is possilble). I suspect that after the introduction of the A7rII that Sony may only offer IBIS based sensors on future cameras. I fear that unless someone like Kolari would decide to tackle an IBIS based sensor to remove the filter stack and replace it with the thin stack that the A7r and the A7rII may be the end of the line for this kind of modification.

If I followed Steve's suggestion regarding the 2 current 28mm Leica M lenses they are more money than I initially intended to spend and if I went that way then I may consider selling my R 28mm V2. But, if the A7r and A7rII are the end of the line for such modification then in the future I would either have to use those lenses either on those cameras or a Leica M camera. I am quite concerned however that Leica is going to fall further and furhter behind with their sensor technology compared to a company like Sony (unless they come to an agreement with Sony or someone like them).

Though as Charles has commented about the smaller Leica M 21mm, Leica M 24mm, and even the Zeiss ZM 25mm f2.8 as being great alternatives for specific kinds of shooting again I am somewhat concerned about their future on Sony cameras after the A7r and A7rII cameras. I have the WATE and as in the case of my Leica R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2, I believe that it will continue to perform well on future Sony cameras even after the A7rII is released. The WATE also provides me the option of sweeping landscapes when wanted. And I would suspect that the WATE on the modified A7r may well outperform the new FE 16mm-35mm zoom on the stock A7r. and quite likely on the modified A7r as well.

The jury is still out on all of the options whether it be the Leica M 28mm f2.8 V4, the Zeiss ZM 28mm f2.8, the Zeiss 25mm f2.8, the CV 28mm f1.9, etc. But, with all of these and the other lenses (not including the R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2 and the WATE) I have real concerns regarding their usage beyond the A7r and A7rII with the modified sensor stacks. That is why I am leaning toward perhaps the 4 lenses that I have mentioned now in this paragraph and they are not so expensive to worry so much about their loss of usage beyond this and the next generation of the Sony cameras.

Rich

Edited on Mar 02, 2015 at 10:54 AM · View previous versions



Mar 02, 2015 at 07:36 AM
beetlephoto
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p.25 #15 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


nicoimages wrote:
The VC 21/1.8 has always worked OK on the A7R but had to be stopped down to f8 for acceptable corners. After the modification it works very well from wide open - this image was taken at f5.6.

Originals for pixel peeping are http://www.flickr.com/photos/nico1974 my edited portofolio is here http://nicoimages.com/

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16687378241_e13155efb8_h.jpg


Thank you!!! I think I'll send out my A7r for conversion. You would not happen to have tested a Cron 35 or a Lux 35 by any chance? The distagon 35/1.4 FE is huuuge and is a no go for me.



Mar 02, 2015 at 09:54 AM
Steve Spencer
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p.25 #16 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


naturephoto1 wrote:
---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your input. I believe that the R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit may well be the best DSLR lens made in this focal length for any filter stack option now and into the future. When I posed this question I was initially considering keeping my R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2 as it is a universal lens that I could use on any filter stack as things now stand and would be into the foreseeable future. I doubt that Sony will change the stack on the upcoming A7rII, A9 or anything into the future (though anything is possilble). I
...Show more

Hi Rich,

You raise a lot of good points and your thoughts mirror a lot my concerns about long run issues with a converted camera and M glass. Here is my dilemma for a 4 lens kit. I would ideally want a ZM 18 f/4, a ZM 25 f/2.8, a 50 lux ASPH, and a 90 cron AA as my four lens kit on a modified A7r II (if the A7r II has 46-50 mp and can be modified). What will determine the choice for me, however, is Zeiss' loxia lenses. If Zeiss makes a 18 f/4 loxia and a 25 f/2.8 loxia that are as good as the ZM lenses on the modified camera, then I will probably just go with the loxia 18, 25, and 50 along with the 90 cron AA and an unmodified camera. That way all four lenses would work with future E mount bodies, and if I go this latter way I would have to be convinced E mount is doing well and will stay around. It is tricky trying to look that far in the future.

Of the lenses you mentioned, my preference as you might guess from the above would be the Zeiss ZM 25 f/2.8. I love the shots that I have seen with that lens and the MTFs are very nice and much better than the ZM 28 f/2.8. From the shots so far, it also looks like it does very well on the modified camera, but it would be good to see more examples. The 28 elmarit v. IV has very nice rendering as well and nice MTFs, but I wonder how it does on the modified camera. I don't think I have seen any shots that impress me yet. It is pretty short and small, which is good as a small kit, but it does make me wonder whether even the modified camera can get the most out of this lens.

So, good luck with your choice. You have made very good use of the WATE, the 40 f/2, and the 90 summarit, so I am sure that it will be a great kit once you get that last lens.



Mar 02, 2015 at 10:23 AM
naturephoto1
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p.25 #17 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


Steve Spencer wrote:
Hi Rich,

You raise a lot of good points and your thoughts mirror a lot my concerns about long run issues with a converted camera and M glass. Here is my dilemma for a 4 lens kit. I would ideally want a ZM 18 f/4, a ZM 25 f/2.8, a 50 lux ASPH, and a 90 cron AA as my four lens kit on a modified A7r II (if the A7r II has 46-50 mp and can be modified). What will determine the choice for me, however, is Zeiss' loxia lenses. If Zeiss makes a 18 f/4 loxia and a
...Show more

Thanks Steve. At this point you have more faith in Zeiss than I do for the Loxia line. I was disappointed in the 2 new Loxia lenses when I handled them at PhotoPlus in October. I was not overjoyed at the hybid Leica direction for focus and the Nikon direction for aperture adjustment as we knew was the case prior to the show. From my discussions with the Zeiss reps, this means of operation was made for the video shooters and they did not feel this would be an issue for the still photographer. I know a few of the forum members have expressed that they had little problem with the operation of both the focus and aperture adjustment. But, I would and many others would prefer the same direction of operation for the focus and the aperture adjustment just as the M-mount lenses made both by Leica and Zeiss. The 50mm Loxia was largely a tweak of the ZM version of the lens (but lacked the requirement for an adapter) and was possibly marginally an improvement on the larger ZE/ZF lenses? The 35mm lens has had mixed response by forum members as well as elsewhere. The lens is not sharp toward the corners and was designed for reportage rather than for landscape.

Then there is the speed with which Zeiss is anticipating introduction of new lenses and there choice of focal lengths. From my understanding from discussion with Zeiss staff, it is likely that Zeiss may only offer 2 more Loxia lenses (possibly less??) this year. My guess from discussion is that Zeiss may offer something like a 21mm Loxia and an 85mm Loxia this year. Following this guide for lens introcuction then, I would suspect that if sales are good or acceptable, Zeiss may then offer 2 or possibly 3 more lenses in 2016. I would not be surprised though if Zeiss finds sales to be acceptable that ultimately there may be 6 or possibly 7 Loxia lenses offered for the FF E-mount cameras.

The major benefits that I see for the Loxia lenses for many is the native mount, (I presume auto magnification when the lens is focused as the Phigment adapter), and the fact that they transmit EXIF data to the FF E-mount cameras. But, the lenses still appear to be larger than like focal length lenses made by either Leica or Zeiss in the M mount for the Leica M cameras. Providing Paul continues to offer the Phigmenet adapter for the M to NEX mounts and in particular if he designs an updated adapter for FF as well as one with a Helicoid for FF, then many of the benefits offered by the Loxia lenses are negated and you can have your choice of M-mount lenses. However, as we have both indicated as far as the usage of the M-mount lenses that will be entirely dependent upon the ability of the future cameras to have the sensor stack modified or if Sony offers a thin sensor stack camera in the future.

Rich



Mar 03, 2015 at 07:30 AM
Steve Spencer
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p.25 #18 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


naturephoto1 wrote:
Thanks Steve. At this point you have more faith in Zeiss than I do for the Loxia line. I was disappointed in the 2 new Loxia lenses when I handled them at PhotoPlus in October. I was not overjoyed at the hybid Leica direction for focus and the Nikon direction for aperture adjustment as we knew was the case prior to the show. From my discussions with the Zeiss reps, this means of operation was made for the video shooters and they did not feel this would be an issue for the still photographer. I know a few of the
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I guess I would say I am more hopeful than have faith in Zeiss. My lies in that Zeiss did pretty much the same thing when they developed their Z* line of lenses. They started with the 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.4 and these were only slight modifications of the C/Y mount lenses, as they developed the line, however, they modified the lenses more and more making some excellent lenses. I expect they will do the same with ZM line.

For me the Loxia lenses have two advantages: the native mount, and it works well with an unmodified camera. The latter is important to me because my wife shoots with AF FE lenses and it would be nice to share cameras. I also care a lot more about the direction of the focus ring than the aperture ring, but I understand why the set up they chose would bother others. So, I am still debating which way to go, but I have a year or so to make a decision. I have the A7 II now (which can't be modified for now anyway) and will wait a year or so to decide whether to add a modified or unmodified camera to it. If I go the modified route, then I will develop a system around M lenses, if not I will probably go with Loxia lenses. As you say there are potential problems either way.



Mar 03, 2015 at 10:18 AM
naturephoto1
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p.25 #19 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


I am really thinking hard about purchasing a Zeiss ZM 25mm f2.8 very shortly, rather than a 28mm lens, to be my 4th lens in a compact, small, light M-system package largely for landscape work. The lens is to be part of the kit that includes my WATE, Minolta CLE MC 40mm f2 M-Rokkor, and my Leica M 90mm f2.5 Summarit lens. I know that Charles and Steve have definitely recommended the lens and it is a favorite here on the forum. A Leica M 24mm f3.8 Elmar M Aspherical would be nice, but it is more money than I would really like to spend.

I hope that the difference in the color and rendering of the Zeiss ZM 25mm f2.8 will not cause too much issue/problem when used and compared with my other lenses mentioned. Additionally, the kit of 4 lenses will be supplemented with my R lenses, particularly my R 100mm Apo-Macro-Elmarit as well as my R Apo Telyt lenses (with and without both Apo Extenders) and my 2 f4 Vario Elmar zoom lenses when there is a need.

I know that to take advantage of the performance of the Zeiss ZM 25mm f2.8 as well as the WATE and the Minolta CLE 40mm lens in particular I will need to have the sensor stack of my A7r replaced by Kolari. The sensor stack replacement would then be done in the relatively near future.

I would appreciate your thoughts before I make the investment.

Rich



Mar 03, 2015 at 07:45 PM
mdemeyer
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p.25 #20 · A thinner sensor stack may be possible after all!


naturephoto1 wrote:
A Leica M 24mm f3.8 Elmar M Aspherical would be nice, but it is more money than I would really like to spend.


Rich,

I currently own the 24mm Elmar f3.8 and, despite the cost issue (about $2,000 used), recommend it very highly. I don't have the 25mm ZM f2.8, but had tested it and found it to be much more sensitive to thick sensor cover glass than the 24mm Elmar. The 25mm ZM was really smeared on the edges even on a Fuji X-Pro1 APS-C sensor while the 24mm Elmar was somewhat degraded but very usable for landscape stopped down to about f8. If I had any complaint about the 24mm Elmar it's that the DOF with the f3.8 aperture is so deep that it can be difficult to nail focus if you are in a hurry. But that's not a big issue for me.

While, as you probably know, I was the kickstarter for this mod, I also understand that lenses are a long-term investment and cameras come and go. The Leica 24mm is more likely to be a viable long-term solution, while the ZM 25mm is dependent on being able to modify future cameras, which is not a certainly. Although I certainly remain hopeful as long as there is enough market interest.

Michael

Edited on Mar 03, 2015 at 08:22 PM · View previous versions



Mar 03, 2015 at 08:18 PM
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