I have never seen a decentered Loxia 50/2. I've tested 5 of them between rentals and aperture defective copies.
They are easy to misfocus though.
Luvwine wrote:
I will test the 50 for centering again. I hope it is okay as I just had to send in my Loxia 21 for warranty work, sigh. The 50 in my experience is really sharp in the center but needs stopping down to F4 or F5.6 or so to be really really sharp across the frame. Once stopped down, I liked it better than the FE55/1.8 (which I then sold). I am not at home now and don't have access to the files to look in detail, but from my brief look at the files, I thought the 50mm shots at 5.6 looked really good across the frame. Are you sure that at infinity wide open you cannot demonstrate any CA? This scene was a pretty tough test and even the "Apo" Leica did not pass wide open. Focus could have been off as I did the test fairly hurriedly, but I focused at F2 or F2.8 and did not change focus as I stopped down so that the F5.6 image was with the same focus as the wide open image. Also, don't just the sharpness of the "scene" as for some reason I used the Loxia at F2 but used the CV at F5.6. The overall images that started the post were only meant to give an idea of where the subsequent crops came from....Show more →
Not trying to cause concern, just the wide open 50 seemed more unsharp than I would expect from my experience. f/5.6 looks great. Sorry -- I commiserate, I know how alarmed I get following any lens I have to send back for repair!
Luvwine wrote:
I will test the 50 for centering again. I hope it is okay as I just had to send in my Loxia 21 for warranty work, sigh. The 50 in my experience is really sharp in the center but needs stopping down to F4 or F5.6 or so to be really really sharp across the frame. Once stopped down, I liked it better than the FE55/1.8 (which I then sold). I am not at home now and don't have access to the files to look in detail, but from my brief look at the files, I thought the 50mm shots at 5.6 looked really good across the frame. Are you sure that at infinity wide open you cannot demonstrate any CA? This scene was a pretty tough test and even the "Apo" Leica did not pass wide open. Focus could have been off as I did the test fairly hurriedly, but I focused at F2 or F2.8 and did not change focus as I stopped down so that the F5.6 image was with the same focus as the wide open image. Also, don't just the sharpness of the "scene" as for some reason I used the Loxia at F2 but used the CV at F5.6. The overall images that started the post were only meant to give an idea of where the subsequent crops came from....Show more →
Keep shooting folks, I'm really thinking about this lens. It fits right in my kit.
This lens when I shoot those Wind turbines is a perfect focal length the 85 is a little too long. I'm on private property so I can't walk in and out of the fields they sit in and 35 is too wide. This would be perfect and I need extremely sharp images because my client goes really big.
I will shoot more tomorrow--landscape as I just drove to North Carolina mountains and will hang out thru Monday hoping to see the eclipse. Will probably shoot a pretty barn and a waterfall or two and maybe some flowers if I can find some....
Jannik Peters wrote:
Thanks for the close up samples, Louis. Did you have the EFSC turned on? The bokeh in the first sample seems to be affected by it.
I don't quite remember how the e-shutter would affect the bokeh, but I like bokeh in those shots very much. For the first time, I agreed with Steve Huff. He said the lens has a "thick paint brush" draw. It retains the shapes without being edgy. Some old Zeiss can retain the shapes but quite edgy as a result (probably due to the not as well corrected CA in the bokeh).
The CV is a very good one. I do believe Zeiss need a modern 50mm in FE, the better new lenses are flexing their muscles. Prefer Zeiss color over this one as with previous CV lenses. The Loxia 85mm draws better than just about anything I've seen, effortless. cheers.
hiepphotog wrote:
I don't quite remember how the e-shutter would affect the bokeh, but I like bokeh in those shots very much. For the first time, I agreed with Steve Huff. He said the lens has a "thick paint brush" draw. It retains the shapes without being edgy. Some old Zeiss can retain the shapes but quite edgy as a result (probably due to the not as well corrected CA in the bokeh).
EFCS generally impacts images at high shutter speeds, IIRC > ~1000. There's a few threads about it here (and elsewhere).
We need EFCS On/Off assignable to a single custom button.
Very good across the frame sharpness from f/2 but I think it shows some field curvature (corners focused behind center). this one is focused on the midframe: Voigtlander_65mm_F2_APO_Macro-14 by Phillip Reeve Data, on Flickr
Amazing shots Phillip! Very nice review so far as well. Have you checked for centering issue of your copy. The outward FC at the corners is very intriguing. That's the common problem with most wide RF lenses. Can't wait to get my copy tomorrow.
hiepphotog wrote:
Amazing shots Phillip! Very nice review so far as well. Have you checked for centering issue of your copy. The outward FC at the corners is very intriguing. That's the common problem with most wide RF lenses. Can't wait to get my copy tomorrow.
Centering looks good
Took a bunch of pics today including some more comparisons. Let me know if you want to see them. I have comparisons again with Loxia 50, Leica 75, Loxia 85 versus the Voigtlander. In general, for landscape, the CV is very sharp indeed and is excellent across the frame from wide open subject to depth of field considerations tho the color is cooler than Zeiss Loxia and seems a bit less contrasty as well, tho not always. I took some flowers and some landscapes today. I can post an number of crops so just shout if interested. Here is a sampling of the scenes:
Are you in AWB. That can throw color off. Maybe daylight same scene and different lenses that would be more telling. To me it's like 200 kelvin cooler but more neutral
