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Archive 2017 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

My copy just arrived from BH yesterday so I haven't had much time with it. But in the little bit of shooting I have done, it does not appear to be very sharp at 200 wide open.

I honestly feel like the Canon mk2 version of the lens from my experience is noticeably better at the long end.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I just dealing with a less than stellar copy of the lens?

Aside from this little niggle, the AF paired with the A9 appears to be everything Sony has claimed thus far. Very happy with it in that regard. Just wish it wasn't so suspect at 200.

Aug 09, 2017 at 03:49 PM

snapsy
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

Your observation matches Lens Rental's tests, both their optical bench and chart tests:

LensRentals: An Update and Comparison of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:14 PM

Phillip Reeve
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

But DxO gave it 38 MP

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:18 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

JohnDizzo15 wrote:
My copy just arrived from BH yesterday so I haven't had much time with it. But in the little bit of shooting I have done, it does not appear to be very sharp at 200 wide open.

I honestly feel like the Canon mk2 version of the lens from my experience is noticeably better at the long end.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I just dealing with a less than stellar copy of the lens?

Aside from this little niggle, the AF paired with the A9 appears to be everything Sony has claimed thus far. Very happy with it...Show more →

John, can you post a sample at 1:1 magnification?

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:19 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

The design of this lens is superb but I understood that the lens it is difficult to assemble as specified, resulting in a wide copy-to-copy variation. I would return that lens to B&H for an exchange if I were you. I am counting my blessings in this respect with mine.

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:25 PM

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

snapsy wrote:
Your observation matches Lens Rental's tests, both their optical bench and chart tests:

LensRentals: An Update and Comparison of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS

---------------------------------------------
Interesting. Thank you for the link. I didn't do a whole lot of research on it and hadn't seen that article. My assumption was that it couldn't be any worse than the Canon version. That assumption combined with me needed something native in the range was what made the decision to pull the trigger so easy. Guess the joke is on me.

Phillip Reeve wrote:
But DxO gave it 38 MP

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

Fred Miranda wrote:
John, can you post a sample at 1:1 magnification?

Will do as soon as I can get the raw files off. At work at the moment so it'll have to be a bit later.

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:28 PM

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

Any chance you have some samples from the long end/200mm? Would appreciate seeing someone else's results. Thanks in advance.

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:31 PM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

AGeoJO wrote:
The design of this lens is superb but I understood that the lens it is difficult to assemble as specified, resulting in a wide copy-to-copy variation. I would return that lens to B&H for an exchange if I were you. I am counting my blessings in this respect with mine.

That's what seems to be happening. Superb design on software but unrealistic for their manufacture tolerances.

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:31 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

JohnDizzo15 wrote:
Any chance you have some samples from the long end/200mm? Would appreciate seeing someone else's results. Thanks in advance.

Sure! But these are real-life images and during the portrait session, I though I had the aperture at wide open but apparently, I nudged it a notch. So, it is not f/2.8 but f/3.2 and it is not always 200mm either since they are not test shots. I also have some landscape images but I have to dig deeper and I can post them later if you want.


	© AGeoJO 2017

full size image


	© AGeoJO 2017

Cropped

Edited on Aug 09, 2017 at 10:57 PM · View previous versions

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:44 PM

GMPhotography
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

I had better luck at 195mm

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:51 PM

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

Those look great and definitely appear to have plenty of res (even compressed on the site). Unsure of how much of an effect the slight stopping down has and/or the higher res body. I no longer have my r2 so it is not something I can test against to see if I would be happier with the files coming off that body.

Another issue I just found is the firmware of the lens. Did some looking around and realized that mine needs the update from the end of May. Thinking/hoping that perhaps the AF was not up to snuff and that my shots that I took in AF-C lock-on mode were ever so slightly OOF.

Going to update shortly and hopefully get some time this evening to shoot some more.

Aug 09, 2017 at 04:53 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

I couldn't see any difference between 200mm and 197mm but Guy, since he rented that lens recently, may have a point there. Set it to 195mm and do your test again. And stop down the aperture to f/3.2 and find out whether it improves. Plus, for testing a lens, I would use AF-S at the least, or even better yet, i would manually focus the lens using the highest magnification view. Again, for testing purposes. After you know that your lens is fine then you can experiment further.

BTW, the landscape images at 200mm were stopped down... Sorry.

Aug 09, 2017 at 05:02 PM

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

AGeoJO wrote:
I couldn't see any difference between 200mm and 197mm but Guy, since he rented that lens recently, may have a point there. Set it to 195mm and do your test again. And stop down the aperture to f/3.2 and find out whether it improves. Plus, for testing a lens, I would use AF-S at the least, or even better yet, i would manually focus the lens using the highest magnification view. Again, for testing purposes. After you know that your lens is fine then you can experiment further.

BTW, the landscape images at 200mm were stopped down... Sorry.

Not overly concerned about the slight focal length difference as I don't fathom 3mm on the long end is going to amount to any relevant difference in performance.

I actually wasn't testing the lens in the traditional sense as that is not something I'm into. The IQ issue was more something I noticed just chasing my kids around and shooting as I normally would which is why I am holding out hope that the FW helps somehow. lol.

No worries re the landscape images. Thank you for the samples you've already provided.

Aug 09, 2017 at 05:11 PM

snapsy
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

I downloaded the full-sized JPEGs from LR's test and cropped to the center. They were all shot on the A7rII:

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E vs Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM vs Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II, 200mm @ f/2.8, Center Crop

Aug 09, 2017 at 05:57 PM

JohnDizzo15
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

snapsy wrote:
I downloaded the full-sized JPEGs from LR's test and cropped to the center. They were all shot on the A7rII:

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8E vs Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM vs Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II, 200mm @ f/2.8, Center Crop

Pretty much confirms what I was feeling without having done any real testing on my end.

I am still holding out hope that I can get some better results later this evening.

Aug 09, 2017 at 06:03 PM

LBJ2
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

AGeoJO wrote:
Sure! But these are real-life images and during the portrait session, I though I had the aperture at wide open but apparently, I nudged it a notch. So, it is not f/2.8 but f/3.2 and it is not always 200mm either since they are not test shots. I also have some landscape images but I have to dig deeper and I can post them later if you want.

Thank you. If not too much trouble, would like to see any landscapes and/or infinity test shots you might have.

Aug 09, 2017 at 06:44 PM

AGeoJO
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

LBJ2 wrote:
Thank you. If not too much trouble, would like to see any landscapes and/or infinity test shots you might have.

As I posted a little bit further down, the landscape images turned out to be taken at f/8 or even f/11, for sure not at wide open.

I "test", actually I "evaluate" and not test, a longish lens mostly in the center ⅔ of the frame and always at a distance that I would normally use the lens at. In this case, it would be between 4-5 feet and 15-20 feet or so. So, I do not have any infinity test shots. Sorry!

Aug 09, 2017 at 07:02 PM

LBJ2
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

AGeoJO wrote:
As I posted a little bit further down, the landscape images turned out to be taken at f/8 or even f/11, for sure not at wide open.

I "test", actually I "evaluate" and not test, a longish lens mostly in the center ⅔ of the frame and always at a distance that I would normally use the lens at. In this case, it would be between 4-5 feet and 15-20 feet or so. So, I do not have any infinity test shots. Sorry!

Opps. Looks like I missed that last post. Thanks anyway.

Aug 09, 2017 at 07:28 PM

SoundHound
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

I have both the Sony 70-200 F2.8 GM and the Nikkor 70-200 F2.8 FL. The FL is the best 70-200 I have ever owned (including the old EF 70-200 and the 2 Nikkors prededing the FL) vr a significant margin. When first I got the FL I could even see the difference in the VF of my D5.

Roger's tests were preliminary and unpublished. Recently, I called Lens Authority to see if I could buy a GM from them (assuming they would return all Turkey lenses). The knowledgeable person I spoke to said "they didn't have any trouble with the current 70-200 F2.8 GMs."

Nevertheless, I am very sure that my GM is not even close to my Nikkor. I shot 1000 images a while back, all at F2.8, and was not impressed with the IQ. Hoping that focus was lacking (mt first show with the A9 and 70-200 GM) and that my next show will be better since I need native AF for my dance action.

Aug 09, 2017 at 10:35 PM

snapsy
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · FE 70-200/2.8 GM - Resolution @200mm Wide Open?

SoundHound wrote:
I have both the Sony 70-200 F2.8 GM and the Nikkor 70-200 F2.8 FL. The FL is the best 70-200 I have ever owned (including the old EF 70-200 and the 2 Nikkors prededing the FL) vr a significant margin. When first I got the FL I could even see the difference in the VF of my D5.

Roger's tests were preliminary and unpublished. Recently, I called Lens Authority to see if I could buy a GM from them (assuming they would return all Turkey lenses). The knowledgeable person I spoke to said "they didn't have any trouble with the current...Show more →

They're not going to return the GM's for not being the sharpest 70-200mm model available across all camera systems. They weren't defective - the design was just not as sharp as expected for a latest-generation 70-200. It's still a sharp lens and they still need to fulfill rental demand for a native 70-200.

Aug 10, 2017 at 03:02 AM

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