Picked up my copy yesterday. It will be part of my backup kit (to the D800E) for my upcoming trip to Iceland via Abu Dhabi (3 days) and London. The A7 will probably be on the belt when hiking around and used for other casual shots, with the D800E and Tokina 16-28 for the tripod landscape shots and for birding (300+ x2.0).
I've decided my A7 kit will comprise of Oly 24/2.8, 28/2, 55/1.8 and a Nikon adapter with shift capability. The UWA 21mm adapter for the 28/2 is still under consideration (to replace the Oly 24mm) though. Any opinions on this UWA adapter ? I haven't seen any proper reviews as yet.
I bought this lens back in March, when I first bought the A7 m1. I guess it was right after it was released actually. I couldn't find any information about it on the net, not to speak of any tests. But i took a wild shot, and hoped for the best.
So far the lens has delivered very well. Its crisp and has nice contrast, and is very easy to use. The build quality is good, considering the price. There are some downsides thought; The colors are a bit too warm for my liking, I prefer the classic Zeiss look much more. The lens is also moderately prone to flaring, but less than most other wide angels I've had.
Is it a keeper? I'm not sure yet. It delivers satisfying photos, but I'm very curious to see how the forthcoming Zeiss Batis 25/2.0 will do. A lot more pricey, but it still might be worth it.
I think the Batis will be a good lens, but its also going to be nearly 3x as expensive, and I'm not sure I for one would really see the value in that
Will the Batis be sharper ? Maybe in the edges of the frame, but the 28FE is quite sharp in the center, even wide open, and improves well into the corners stopped down.
Will the Batis focus faster ? Probably not, the 28FE is pretty darn snappy
Will the Batis have less distortion ? I'd hope so. The 28FE requires a fair bit of correction via software
Will the Batis render smoother ? Maybe...but the 28FE is remarkably smooth for a wide angle and I quite like its overall rendering. Really possible the Batis could actually be even busier/nervous with regards to "bokeh" quality
Will the Batis be small/lighter ? Nope
Will the Batis have a wider FoV ? Yep, 25 vs 28mm, though the 28FE can take the UWA....
Will the Batis have better build quality ? Propably, and does have the cool OLED window, but the 28FE seems built fine to me, typical Sony wrapped metal body. Right on par with the 55/1.8 FE.
Ultimately comes down to the question of if I sell my 28FE and get the Batis 25, what did I really get for spending an extra $1000, other than a slightly wider FoV and cool/novel OLED window. Is the Batis going to give me significantly better images than those I could take with the 28FE ?
I could essentially have a matched pair of the 28 and 55 FE's, which share a common build/style, common filter size etc, for the cost of the one Batis lens.
I'm not saying I won't buy a Batis at some point, but the 28 FE has turned out to be way better than its low cost suggested.
Totally exceeded by expectations for a $448 lens...
The Batis cost way more, and has higher expectations to match, will it be able to match them ?
balga wrote:
I had turned my head on this lens due to initial reviews, but from what I can see in this thread images tell a different story.
how bad is distortion in real life? I mean, do you really lose a lot? I only have 12mpx
I haven't seen any noticeable effects of it, but I always have the correct applied.
From what I understand, the 35 Sonnar in my RX1 actually had a bit of distortion too, but again, its automatically corrected, so unless I load a RAW file into LR and don't apply a lens profile, I wouldn't see it.
In a perfect world, I'd like glass with zero distortion, but if it can be software corrected, with no apparent changes in resolution in the corners, I'm still pretty happy
I think the Batis will be a good lens, but its also going to be nearly 3x as expensive, and I'm not sure I for one would really see the value in that
I agree, price to quality you will most likely get a lot more from the FE28/2.0 than the future Batis. Not because the Batis won't be good, but because the FE28/2.0 is already a great lens. Fast, small, sharp, good contrast, good build quality.
But I know myself, and based on experience I always have the desire to level up - to try a new lens. And if that lens has the Zeiss name labeled to it, the likelihood of me upgrading is even higher. I simply love Zeiss lenses and their neutral yet crisp colours. Is the Batis too expensive? Probably. After all, there is not that much extra you will probably get from it compared to the FE28/2.0. Apart from less distortion (hopefully) and better colours (guaranteed). But for me - especially the latter of those two - might be the one factor that makes it "worth" it. As long as my wife allows it, that is
balga wrote:
I had turned my head on this lens due to initial reviews, but from what I can see in this thread images tell a different story.
how bad is distortion in real life? I mean, do you really lose a lot? I only have 12mpx
Its not too bad if you ask me. I usually push the distortion to +25-28 in Lightroom. Sometimes less, depending on how far I am from the subject. You loose some on the sides from it, but so far I haven't missed any essential parts.
This 28mm 2.0 is the first lens and the only lens I have so far with my new A7II. I was very surprised how good this light and tiny lens is. This thread confirmed my thoughts about this lens.
I completely agree that 28&55 make a better combo than 35/55. Also, I could save couple $$$.
millsart wrote:
Just customizable camera once you understand how some of the stuff works and what all you can custom assign
Clued in by something you said in another thread, I went back and modified my custom keys again. I used to have C1 set to Focus Magnify, which made it useless with an AF mode on. I had been wondering why Sony didn't make it so that Focus Magnify would let you do something analogous when you had AF on, like moving the box with Movable Point AF. This just seemed like the usual Sony dumb ergonomics... until I came across something you said about Movable Point. I changed C1 to Focus Settings, and voila! The behavior I had been hoping for - in MF or with a MF lens attached, C1 brings up the focus mag; with Movable Point AF on, it allows me to move the box. Perfect!
My first try w/ back button focus was a flop, since it didn't work in MF mode. It seemed like it'd be a good way to pull focus in close, and then tweak as needed, not unlike DMF, but for some reason it seemed a bit more natural to me as someone who has only been using MF lenses. I had tried BBF by assigning AF/MF to "AF On" and disabling AF for the shutter. Worked fine in AF-S, etc but not in MF. For some reason, I tried "AF/MF Control Hold" and was happy to see that it allowed the camera to work with my probably funky preferences.
I look forward to using this lens for astro/aurora - being able to lock AF once I've gotten infinity nailed is something that will save me some time.
Chuck Eklund wrote:
So far I really like the small and light 28mm f2. For my use of the lens the distortion is not issue. I am also curious about the 21mm adaptor.
Chuck
Received my 28/2 and the 21/2.8 WA adaptor last week. Love this lens! I agree with the others on size, weight, contrast, price, and decent bokeh. Perfect match to the 55/1.8 in size, FL, and filter size. This is my new walk around prime. A fast wide prime just gives you more options.
Here are crappy iPhone pics of the 28/2 on an A7 and with the 21/2.8 adaptor. The iPhone some what distorts the image a bit. Its not that big as depicted.
I also shot some home interiors for my brother who is selling his home. I used the 21/2.8 adaptor for all these shots. Nice and sharp. I had to correct distortion a bit in LR but no big deal. Very happy with it.
I'd love to see a RAW file from the FE 28, preferably on an a7R. Just a landscape'y type shot with good light where I can judge detail. Have any of the review sites posted any RAWs yet?
