saxguy wrote:
Would you kindly further expand on this?
Distagoin is large and heavy. It is rather speciality lens. Not allarounder/walking lens...whatever people like to call this use pattern. Not lens which can spend most of the time on the camera. It is sharp, fast autofocus lens which has to be used in cases where it needed. Maybe not perfect comparison, but kind of the same category as 135/2 lens would be. Use it when it is required. Lens with "speciality".
CV 40/1.2 is very different beast, it is manual (this already makes some non-overlapping use pattern with Distagon), which balances on camera extremely nice and has quite reasonable size/weight. This lens has quite a potential to be "default" lens. I.e. lens which someone keeps on camera, unless there is particular need for "speciality" lens. Lens which you take (as single lens) when you go to walk, or to bar with friends, or whatever/whenever else as single lens. Just "default lens". (it doesn't mean that it can not be used as "speciality" lens, of course). Plus, 40mm vs 35mm...40mm (depending on taste) might be indeed good compromise/fusion between 35mm and 50mm (two most typical "standard lenses" of choice) in single lens, covering most of what one does with either 35mm or 50mm.
At least, this is how I see it.
And, to be honest, there is this irrational thing I have only with, CV 40/1.2 : when I take camera in my hands, I want to keep it in hands forever, feels so nice! )))
And Distagon just heavy and large and doesn't balance so nice on A7R II/III, in my opinion. As "standard lens" it calls for battery grip At least this is how I see it.
Again, this is just my personal opinion. Distagon is as large as 24-105/4. And nothing wrong to use it as everyday lens. And in my Canon days I would consider this to be OK for "everyday lens". But Sony A7 calls for smaller lenses and handles better with smaller/lighter lenses, in my opinion.
Mathieu18 wrote:
Used my normal web process which does include some sharpening, but to my eye I need to dial it back a bit, but it's a pain to re-record the action so I've been lazy. That said, this lens has plenty of default sharpness in the center. Unsharpened crops below.
Edit: realized I slightly backfocused the owl, look to the outsides of his eyes and you can better see the sharpness.
Thanks! Then I guess I got a bad copy. Will try another one. I couldn't get nowhere close to that (and majority of of examples in this thread) with my copy.
Yesterday was my first time to use the 40/1.2, other than a few tests around the house. And I really like it...nice focal length, great rendering and separation. I can see using it for a lot of stuff...looking forward to trying it on flowers in a couple of months.
A couple to get you started, though I don't claim to be near as talented as you. Shot at f/2, wider is a bit soft at close distances as others have looked at.
DannyBurkPhoto wrote:
Yesterday was my first time to use the 40/1.2, other than a few tests around the house. And I really like it...nice focal length, great rendering and separation. I can see using it for a lot of stuff...looking forward to trying it on flowers in a couple of months.
Mathieu18 wrote:
A couple to get you started, though I don't claim to be near as talented as you. Shot at f/2, wider is a bit soft at close distances as others have looked at.
Those look nice, thanks!
Feb 19, 2018 at 05:06 PM
Steve Spencer Online • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
In other threads people have discussed how the lens does even better with a close up lens. Canon's 250D close up lens comes in a 58mm filter threat version and should be a decent option. Fred reports that the Leica Elpro 3, which from my experience is a great diopter, works well. It has a 55mm filter, so I am not sure how that works, but perhaps he will comment. Anyway, if you want to use the lens for close up work you might consider a close up lens.
Steve Spencer wrote:
In other threads people have discussed how the lens does even better with a close up lens. Canon's 250D close up lens comes in a 58mm filter threat version and should be a decent option. Fred reports that the Leica Elpro 3, which from my experience is a great diopter, works well. It has a 55mm filter, so I am not sure how that works, but perhaps he will comment. Anyway, if you want to use the lens for close up work you might consider a close up lens.
Yes, thanks - I've got a Canon 250D 58mm that I'm going to try. I'll probably play with them on a small item at home rather than waiting till flowers are here.
sebbe wrote:
As I wrote it earlier in this thread: If you shoot RAW only (not RAW + JPG) the JPGs you'll get over the playmemories app are very small AND of bad quality. File size will be 1616x1080 and your posted shots have the same size. Therefore the issue is not the transfer size but the image quality settings in your camera.
Solution: Just shoot RAW+JPG if you want to use higher res over playmemories app.
Yea, it was on my mind and have one around somewhere, but it’s less likely I’m carrying one around with me day to day. Good to know it does reasonably well at f/2 anyway.
Unrelated: what’s the yellow dash on the bottom of the lens for?
Steve Spencer wrote:
In other threads people have discussed how the lens does even better with a close up lens. Canon's 250D close up lens comes in a 58mm filter threat version and should be a decent option. Fred reports that the Leica Elpro 3, which from my experience is a great diopter, works well. It has a 55mm filter, so I am not sure how that works, but perhaps he will comment. Anyway, if you want to use the lens for close up work you might consider a close up lens.
Feb 19, 2018 at 06:52 PM
imagesfromobjects Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Mathieu18 wrote:
Yea, it was on my mind and have one around somewhere, but it’s less likely I’m carrying one around with me day to day. Good to know it does reasonably well at f/2 anyway.
Unrelated: what’s the yellow dash on the bottom of the lens for?
If you're talking about the 40/1.2, the yellow dash on the bottom means it's in "clicked" mode. To make the aperture clickless, push the whole ring in towards the base of the lens and rotate until the yellow is on top, then release. Pretty cool feature, esp for video. Wasn't in the instructions, but saw that on a blog somewhere. It'll even register in-between values and write to exif.
Steve Spencer wrote:
In other threads people have discussed how the lens does even better with a close up lens. Canon's 250D close up lens comes in a 58mm filter threat version and should be a decent option. Fred reports that the Leica Elpro 3, which from my experience is a great diopter, works well. It has a 55mm filter, so I am not sure how that works, but perhaps he will comment. Anyway, if you want to use the lens for close up work you might consider a close up lens.
A 58-55mm step down ring works great with zero vignetting. (Leica Elpro 3 and 4)
The Canon 250D is an achromat as well but I think it's just too strong at diopter +4. I would think the Canon 500D may be a better option (diopter +2).
Let us know your thoughts @DannyBurkPhoto
Just for reference the Elpro 3 is +1,66 and Elpro4 +0.75.
Another achromat option is the "Minolta No.0" at +0.94, it's 55mm thread as well.
The alternative to using achromatic lenses to improve the lens' performance wide option at close distances is to stop the lens down to f/2 or smaller.
Fred Miranda wrote:
A 58-55mm step down ring works great with zero vignetting. (Leica Elpro 3 and 4)
The Canon 250D is an achromat as well but I think it's just too strong at diopter +4. I would think the Canon 500D may be a better option (diopter +2).
Let us know your thoughts @DannyBurkPhoto@
Just for reference the Elpro 3 is +1,66 and Elpro4 +0.75.
Another achromat option is the "Minolta No.0" at +0.94, it's 55mm thread as well.
The alternative to using achromatic lenses to improve the lens' performance wide option at close distances is to stop the lens down to f/2 or smaller.
Will do. Actually, I have both 250D and 500D, and will try both. For my own use, I think that the 250D will work well since I want it for very close range at least part of the time.
Thanks to everyone who has posted pictures and answered questions on the thread. Sold my Mitakon Zhongyi and will be ordering the 40/1.2 in a few days...
I like it clicked but thanks, that is pretty sweet.
imagesfromobjects wrote:
If you're talking about the 40/1.2, the yellow dash on the bottom means it's in "clicked" mode. To make the aperture clickless, push the whole ring in towards the base of the lens and rotate until the yellow is on top, then release. Pretty cool feature, esp for video. Wasn't in the instructions, but saw that on a blog somewhere. It'll even register in-between values and write to exif.
Feb 21, 2018 at 09:59 PM
imagesfromobjects Offline • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Mathieu18 wrote:
I like it clicked but thanks, that is pretty sweet.
Sweeeeet.
I took the liberty of starting an image thread for this lens. I really want to see more M mount stuff, too. Anyone wants to add shots, please go to town.
The usual Tokyo stores all seem to be out of stock with 40/1.2 E-mount too. Seems to have been that way for a few weeks already. I guess the lens has been selling pretty well.
It's typical for older Cosina lenses to run out of stock in all Tokyo stores periodically too and then make a comeback several weeks later. I guess Cosina has rather limited production runs at certain longish intervals and global demand for this lens might have been higher than estimated.
I know some people don't love the guy, but Steve Huff is posting a direct comparison of the current Nokton 40/1.2 M Mount on a Leica M10, and the E Mount version on an A7Riii. He is also going to test the M version mounted on the Sony. Might be worth a look.
His first quick shots show a noticeable difference in rendering. The M version seems to have slightly shallower DOF and more "3D pop". Could be the M10 is adding something, so we'll see when he shoots the M version on the A7 this weekend.
At least this is how I see it.
