I think the conclusion that I draw from this test is that the 12-24 is really quite an exceptional lens, I don't think my copy is this good at 24mm, it's strength lies in the 15-16mm range.
This maybe a stupid question to ask.
Could I send the lens to be calibrated, so it's sharp end to end and all through the zoom range or is that just wishful thinking?
I would be sending it to Sony UK, and from experience they didn't do a good job of fixing another lens I sent them.
I could have calibrated with greater accuracy, if I thrown it against a wall.
It's pretty good at the wide end, I just don't want them to F it up.
I do have the Batis 25mm, so I use that when needed.
I remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around.
Luvwine wrote:
I remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around....Show more →
Yes, it seems slightly wider than 24mm but same as Canon TS-E 24mm after distortion correction. Definitely not 25.
It renders beautiful colors and nice contrast though, very close to what I get from the Loxia 21. (Loxia has higher micro-contrast and resolution though)
The 12-24/4G is just a freakish zoom with high resolution throughout the entire range. It challenges my best primes and that includes the Loxia 21.
The zoom weakest focal length is 24mm but at center, even wide open, it's quite similar to the Zeiss 25mm prime two stops down! I don't love the zoom color rendering but it's an easy fix in post. I basically use the G ultra wide as a complement to my primes.
Fred Miranda wrote: Luvwine wroteI remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around.Yes, it seems slightly wider than 24mm but same as Canon TS-E 24mm after distortion correction. Definitely not 25.
It renders beautiful colors and nice contrast though, very close to what I get from the Loxia 21. (Loxia has higher micro-contrast and resolution though)
The 12-24/4G is just a freakish zoom with high resolution throughout the entire range. It challenges my best primes and that includes the Loxia 21.
The zoom weakest focal length is 24mm but at center, even wide open, it's quite similar to the Zeiss 25mm prime two stops down! I don't love the zoom color rendering but it's an easy fix in post. I basically use the G ultra wide as a complement to my primes....Show more →
Agreed on the 12-24. A good copy (as you have and I do too)is remarkably sharp. It is light weight too. The only issues are ease of filter use (or rather lack of ease) and color rendering. Loxia sun stars are more fun too. If I want a minimalist landscape package, it will take the 12-24 and the Zeiss 35-70. I add the 100-300, Zeiss 21, Voigtlander 65, Loxia 85, et al. Depending on how much I am willing to schlep. Am happy with the zoom from 12-20 for sure . I just like the Loxia 21 rendering a bit better and ease of filter use on the Loxia too, but the Sony is an amazingly good lens—especially considering it is not a “GM” lens....
Luvwine wrote:
I remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around....Show more →
I agree,
I decided to sell my 28 FE and go with the B25.
The B25 and 55Z are my street and travel lenses.
25/55 seems perfect, um 23/55
I did get the 12-24g too, for my UW needs.
Went with 35/50/85, all 1.4, for portraits
Fred Miranda wrote: Luvwine wroteI remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around.Yes, it seems slightly wider than 24mm but same as Canon TS-E 24mm after distortion correction. Definitely not 25.
It renders beautiful colors and nice contrast though, very close to what I get from the Loxia 21. (Loxia has higher micro-contrast and resolution though)
The 12-24/4G is just a freakish zoom with high resolution throughout the entire range. It challenges my best primes and that includes the Loxia 21.
The zoom weakest focal length is 24mm but at center, even wide open, it's quite similar to the Zeiss 25mm prime two stops down! I don't love the zoom color rendering but it's an easy fix in post. I basically use the G ultra wide as a complement to my primes....Show more →
I've found I really like many of these f/4 wide angle zooms that I've seen in recent years. Great IQ and smaller, I prefer them to the f/2.8 variants.
It's also worth mentioning that the Batis 25/2 shows moderate LaCA while the 12-24/4 is pretty much free of lateral chromatic aberration. That's one of the reasons I like the 12-24/4 G zoom more than the 16-35/2.8 GM.
The 12-24/4 has also minimal LoCA wide open but to be fair, the Batis 25/2 is much cleaner at f/4.
Fred Miranda wrote: Luvwine wroteI remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around.Yes, it seems slightly wider than 24mm but same as Canon TS-E 24mm after distortion correction. Definitely not 25.
It renders beautiful colors and nice contrast though, very close to what I get from the Loxia 21. (Loxia has higher micro-contrast and resolution though)
The 12-24/4G is just a freakish zoom with high resolution throughout the entire range. It challenges my best primes and that includes the Loxia 21.
The zoom weakest focal length is 24mm but at center, even wide open, it's quite similar to the Zeiss 25mm prime two stops down! I don't love the zoom color rendering but it's an easy fix in post. I basically use the G ultra wide as a complement to my primes....Show more →
No doubt high resolution, I noticed that right away
IndyFab wrote: Fred Miranda wroteLuvwine wroteI remember when I had the Batis 25, I had heard it was more like 23.5mm. This seems to be born out by your test. The Batis is great with flat field from wide open, but I found its rendering less to my taste for landscapes than the Loxia 21 and was close enough in focal length that I did not want to own both (I also like the Loxia size, sun stars, and and build quality). If the new Loxia 25 is really 25 (or 26) then it may complement the Loxia 21 better than the Batis does. Of course, the Batis is great for street and such being autofocus with good bokeh, speed, and a short minimum focus distance. I suspect it would make a good two lens kit with an FE 55 for walk around.Yes, it seems slightly wider than 24mm but same as Canon TS-E 24mm after distortion correction. Definitely not 25.
It renders beautiful colors and nice contrast though, very close to what I get from the Loxia 21. (Loxia has higher micro-contrast and resolution though)
The 12-24/4G is just a freakish zoom with high resolution throughout the entire range. It challenges my best primes and that includes the Loxia 21.
The zoom weakest focal length is 24mm but at center, even wide open, it's quite similar to the Zeiss 25mm prime two stops down! I don't love the zoom color rendering but it's an easy fix in post. I basically use the G ultra wide as a complement to my primes.No doubt high resolution, I noticed that right away
Honestly, I was expecting the Batis to do way better than the zoom considering 24mm is the zoom weakest FL and Batis starts with a 2-stop advantage at f/4.
For landsapes, shooting at f/5.6 and smaller, I think either lens will do great. Flare performance could be an advantage for the Batis but from my initial tests, it's not its strong suit either.
Thanks for the link Fred, interestingly Roger from lensrental prefers the 16-35GM over the 12-24.. Although does 12 -15 which the 16-35 is not capable.
IndyFab wrote:
Thanks for the link Fred, interestingly Roger from lensrental prefers the 16-35GM over the 12-24.. Although does 12 -15 which the 16-35 is not capable.
Both lenses really complement each other. Roger's infinity tests show the 16-35/4 ZA being sharper than the GM from 16mm until 24mm at center (wide open for both though).
I am pretty sure he prefers the Canon 16-35/2.8L III more than either Sony.
Man, I wish the couple 12-24's I tried were as good as the consensus. I may give it another shot later on, but I really don't find the 12-15 range that useful for what I do except in very, very rare circumstances. I may rent a 16-35 GM to see how it stacks up.
tylerdurden801 wrote:
Man, I wish the couple 12-24's I tried were as good as the consensus. I may give it another shot later on, but I really don't find the 12-15 range that useful for what I do except in very, very rare circumstances. I may rent a 16-35 GM to see how it stacks up.
If you rarely go 12-15mm, I'd say rent both 16-35/2.8 GM and 16-35/4 ZA and decide which is best for you.