Still have shitty weather but still managed to get one of my girls to come outside. Didn't shoot the 200mm as they had no patience and I wasn't changing lenses in the drizzle...
I snapped a bunch of photos from the nearby neighborhood.
Mostly very boring pics, all wide open. the lens focused quickly for the most part.
Using AFS and flexible spot, small, it would sometimes quickly focus in and out and then lock, and sometimes just lock focus immediately. Probably 10% of the time it hunted in good light, and about half of that time it eventually locked focus.
Flexible spot medium didn't seem to quickly lock nearly as well, at least not indoors, so I used small for my initial testing.
AFC wasn't so successful auto-focusing, so I didn't bother to try and use it. For the brief time I tested it indoors, I'd say it hunted and eventually locked ~60% of the time, and misfocused or just hunted ~40%. Maybe 70%-30%.
I updated the MC-11 and dock to the latest firmware before shooting.
It is an absolute beast of a lens on the A7RII. Not really liking the weight, which may be the deciding factor in whether or not I keep it.
Weather isn't supposed to be very cooperative for the next several days, but I hope to be able to get out and spend more time shooting with in the coming week, as well as making a few direct comparisons between the Sigma and the Rok, so I can make up my mind.
For what they're worth, here are some test shots from today.
Ken_Cravillion wrote:
Still have shitty weather but still managed to get one of my girls to come outside. Didn't shoot the 200mm as they had no patience and I wasn't changing lenses in the drizzle...
Hopefully DXO will update their modules with the profile for the Sigma 135 soon. LR correctly recognizes it, but DXO wants me to download the module for the Sony Zeiss 135 F1.8.
Ken_Cravillion wrote:
Still have shitty weather but still managed to get one of my girls to come outside. Didn't shoot the 200mm as they had no patience and I wasn't changing lenses in the drizzle...
Thanks for taking the time to post the comparison Ken. To me they seem very close in performance and rendering. This may be the best of ART series lenses.
That lower contrast OOF rendition of ZA135 may be feels 0.001% better Tomorrow who knows, I may think differently.
Ken_Cravillion wrote:
I feel like the Sony Zeiss 135mm 1.8 has slightly less contrast. I wonder if that has to do the the mirror in the LA-EA4 adapter?
At these sizes, I felt the contrast in "in focus" areas seems comparable. It's only the contrast in OOF areas which is lower in case of ZA135. Isn't it?
p.7 #10 · Sigma 135 1.8 thoughts? AF functionality
Okay everything in hand. I updated the MC-11 to version 1.04 and I'm in the dark now pretty much and looks to be focusing pretty well. Ill start in the morning with testing. Now maybe its me from someone that owned all the 180/200 1.8 and F2 glass but it really does not feel that bad. No question its got some meat but its pretty nice handholding it. Looks to be a laser
No updates for the lens itself so right now you do not need the dock
p.7 #11 · Sigma 135 1.8 thoughts? AF functionality
It looks like the Zony 135 is not as sharp as the Sigma, but I prefer the bokeh of the ZA and overall rendering of this great lens, it's a shame that Sony can't give us an adapter where yo can use A mounts lenses with all the AF properties, as the Metabones and the MC-11
p.7 #12 · Sigma 135 1.8 thoughts? AF functionality
GMPhotography wrote:
Okay everything in hand. I updated the MC-11 to version 1.04 and I'm in the dark now pretty much and looks to be focusing pretty well. Ill start in the morning with testing. Now maybe its me from someone that owned all the 180/200 1.8 and F2 glass but it really does not feel that bad. No question its got some meat but its pretty nice handholding it. Looks to be a laser
No updates for the lens itself so right now you do not need the dock
In my opinion the Sigma focus 2x faster in dim light vs that Sony ZA. That ZA was hit and miss even in good light!!
p.7 #16 · Sigma 135 1.8 thoughts? AF functionality
I think I may start a thread on the tests I did this morning. But I did see some odd functionality with the MC-11. It needs a update. I'll talk about it more in the tests as I can show what's going on. Basically it opens up to focus to I say 2.8 than closes down to working aperture. The problem is it's not fast enough to do that if you hit it right away so you get overexposed shots. If you wait a touch it's fine. On AFS mode. AFC mode it does not do that. It also pulsates a touch when focusing like a back and forth but it's quick so it did not bother me much. Squarely it's a MC-11 firmware which obviously can be updated. I did not try Eye af yet and other things but that was first impressions. The lens is a laser no question about that.
I should add here the more stopped down you are at working aperture the more problematic it is because it has to travel faster. This is true with Sony glass like my 85 1.8 but that's faster to do it so not a big problem. So you have to be careful
p.7 #17 · Sigma 135 1.8 thoughts? AF functionality
Fair warning go lock up your credit cards now. Im just looking at the take and I'm seeing no CA and its very very sharp even in the corners look amazing even at F4 at critical 100 percent.
Tomorrow who knows, I may think differently. 