saxguy wrote:
I ordered the Batis as I thought I could live with some of the shortcomings - I'm hoping they will fix the Eye AF, but the bokey balls when shooting close up drive me crazy.
I'm looking for a great 40mm solution with relatively close focus and AF. I have the E mount CV 40 1.2 and I love it, but there are times I need AF. Is the M Mount CV 40 1.2 with the Techart the solution at this focal length for close focus?
I have no doubt the Batis will get hashed out. Just a matter of when.
As far as close focus and AF at the 40mm FL go, I would say the VM 40 probably isn't the best choice unless you are prepared to deal with more caveats.
The Voigt 40 in general isn't the best at or near MFD but can be improved with some filters according to other members. Personally, I'm actually content with the close up performance of the VM 40 but do recognize that it isn't the sharpest lens for that specific purpose.
The other caveats have to do with the AF of the TAP and FP Pronto adapters. It is unable to achieve focus away from a fairly centralized portion of the frame. Hunts, but never actually locks onto anything once you get out of the usable zone. It should also be noted that one has to manually change the focusing distance on the lens when shooting up close. Most of the time, you're good keeping it at or near infinity. But if you are shooting near MFD, this must be adjusted accordingly. As long as you bear these things in mind, it is still a very usable solution but are caveats nonetheless.
JohnDizzo15 wrote:
I have no doubt the Batis will get hashed out. Just a matter of when.
As far as close focus and AF at the 40mm FL go, I would say the VM 40 probably isn't the best choice unless you are prepared to deal with more caveats.
The Voigt 40 in general isn't the best at or near MFD but can be improved with some filters according to other members. Personally, I'm actually content with the close up performance of the VM 40 but do recognize that it isn't the sharpest lens for that specific purpose.
The other caveats have to do with the AF of the TAP and FP Pronto adapters. It is unable to achieve focus away from a fairly centralized portion of the frame. Hunts, but never actually locks onto anything once you get out of the usable zone. It should also be noted that one has to manually change the focusing distance on the lens when shooting up close. Most of the time, you're good keeping it at or near infinity. But if you are shooting near MFD, this must be adjusted accordingly. As long as you bear these things in mind, it is still a very usable solution but are caveats nonetheless. ...Show more →
That's really helpful. I tend to frame my subjects towards the corners as I've always visualized the fibonacci spiral when doing so. So the M Mount CV40 1.2 TAP probably won't help me in terms of AF.
JohnDizzo15 wrote:
I have no doubt the Batis will get hashed out. Just a matter of when.
As far as close focus and AF at the 40mm FL go, I would say the VM 40 probably isn't the best choice unless you are prepared to deal with more caveats.
The Voigt 40 in general isn't the best at or near MFD but can be improved with some filters according to other members. Personally, I'm actually content with the close up performance of the VM 40 but do recognize that it isn't the sharpest lens for that specific purpose.
The other caveats have to do with the AF of the TAP and FP Pronto adapters. It is unable to achieve focus away from a fairly centralized portion of the frame. Hunts, but never actually locks onto anything once you get out of the usable zone. It should also be noted that one has to manually change the focusing distance on the lens when shooting up close. Most of the time, you're good keeping it at or near infinity. But if you are shooting near MFD, this must be adjusted accordingly. As long as you bear these things in mind, it is still a very usable solution but are caveats nonetheless. ...Show more →
This is a very fair and accurate description of the shortcomings of both the Techart Pro (and, by extension, the Pronto rip-off) and also the TAP+VM 40/1.2 combo.
Folks seem to be buying the Zeiss Batis 40/f2 despite its shortcomings. I tried to purchase it from Greentoe and was quoted $1239, a $60 discount. Then, I checked with a Hong Kong internet seller who was sold out. After he received a new shipment, I was quoted a price of $1219. This is not much of a discount, especially since it's a grey market item.
I've decided to wait to purchase it until the bugs are worked out. Has anyone been quoted a lower price than I have received?
Just an opinion; if you have it, fine, wait for the firmware, soon I hope for those folks. If you don't have and don't urgently need it, (that's NEED, not WANT), it probably makes the most sense at this point to wait.
I think that Zeiss stopped shipping the lens until the update is available. In Germany, there were plenty of lenses from many sources for sale, Ebay was full of new offers. Now, the market is pretty empty.
I tried to get a review copy since last year and it is still unavailable for a long time (although there are no new reviews showing up). I have the suspection that there is also an embargo on review samples at the moment.
I guess that Zeiss didn't see that accident coming and that it wasn't taken too seriously. Now the problem is real and it can't easily be solved.
Regarding the aperture problem, they will probably have to break with one of their habits: Still offer nonagonal bokeh balls wide open or allow image quality that undercuts their minimum standards. I hope for the latter because I want to be a self-determined photographer and not patronized by the manufacturer (where it is not neccesary). This is especially true if they could still deliver a sharp center wide open.
The problem with the Eye AF seems ridiculous to me. They got it working on many lenses before and now it starts to cause trouble. I fear that this problem is very complicated and wasn't detected before the lenses got shipped.
This could have been THE lens for me (I am loving 40mm) but the current situation turns me off completely.
finally i got an useful update from ZEISS regarding the aperture problem!
I wrote to them on Facebook and got a message today.
At the moment it is like that the aperture closes automatically in near distance. "Near destance" for ZEISS is 5m (!!!) at the moment.
In April there will be an update that the aperture only will close between F2 - F2.5.
It will only close in near distance, which then will mean exactly 24cm to 65cm ( ).
In really near distance, around 24cm, it will close to F2.8.
So when you shoot in F2.8, the automation will not take place.
Here is the original german text for native speakers or google translate
"Hallo Nikolas,
Wir möchten uns bei Dir für die Unannehmlichkeiten entschuldigen. Wir arbeiten gerade an einem Software-Update, das es erlaubt, in einem großen Fokusbereich mit weit geöffneter Blende zu arbeiten. Das Update kannst Du ab April 2019 kostenlos von der ZEISS-Website https://www.zeiss.de/camera-lenses/s...ad-center.html herunterladen. Unsere registrierten Kunden werden wir per E-Mail über das Update informieren.
Nachdem Du das Update installiert hast, blendet das ZEISS Batis 2/40 CF nur bei voreingestellten Blendenwerten zwischen f/2 und f/2.5 bei einem Fokusabstand zwischen 24 und 65 Zentimetern automatisch ab – im Extremfall (Naheinstellgrenze) auf maximal f/2.8. Ab einem Blendenwert von f/2.8 aufwärts bleibt die Blendenöffnung über den gesamten Fokusbereich unverändert. Zusätzlich verbessert das Update die Fokusgenauigkeit bei Nutzung der Augen-AF-Funktion der Kamera.
Wir bedauern, dass wir die Softwarespezifikation, die zum automatischen Abblenden im Nahbereich führt, nicht von Anfang an klar genug kommuniziert haben. Das werden wir in Zukunft besser machen – und haben unter anderem die Information in unsere Produktwebsite integriert.
Viele Grüße
Dein ZEISS Camera Lenses Team"
I take the liberty of translating one more thing, about eye-AF:
"Zusätzlich verbessert das Update die Fokusgenauigkeit bei Nutzung der Augen-AF-Funktion der Kamera."
Translation:
"In addition the update improves the focus accuracy when using the eye-AF function in the camera."
In other words the update to be launched in April will address both eye-AF and aperture stop down behaviour.
Wish they'd just release it...I want to love this lens, I love how it renders, love the size and how the AF works in good light, it's a good little walk around...but I HATE the aperture stop down thing (really sucks in low light) and the eye AF is so hit and miss...Just fix it already, I've owned it for months now! I just want it to work.
I just got the lens and can confirm the info from Nikolas about the April Update and the Eye AF fix.
After checking for centering, I shot an aperture series and am very impressed. I saw this lens performing much worse in other tests, that was a great surprise. Flare performance seems to be very good as well, looks like an impressive landscape lens.
No, I'm just really happy to hear that the Eye-AF is getting an update!
Exactly
I love this lens and it's a fantastic studio lens alongside the 90mm Macro. I will be holding off updating it in April until I've heard positive feedback on the image quality etc.
I do not have the lens but I may consider that as a future purchase. Out of curiosity, how do you update the FW of the lens. Yes, you can download the FW from the Zeiss website but Zeiss doesn’t have a dock ala Sigma for their Batis lenses. Do you do the upgrade yourself by mounting the lens on a Sony body and upgrade the FW through the Sony body or do you have to send the lens in to Zeiss?
AGeoJO wrote:
I do not have the lens but I may consider that as a future purchase. Out of curiosity, how do you update the FW of the lens. Yes, you can download the FW from the Zeiss website but Zeiss doesn’t have a dock ala Sigma for their Batis lenses. Do you do the upgrade yourself by mounting the lens on a Sony body and upgrade the FW through the Sony body or do you have to send the lens in to Zeiss?
I think this will be possible through the body but I will ask that question.
I just returned mine. The inability to lock focus at close range in low light was a dealbreaker for me, plus I had to throttle the ISO because the lens was stopping down. It's unfortunate as I do like the 40mm focal length.
I have the 24GM which I can use in crop mode for now and just "replaced" the Batis 40 with the Sony 50 1.4 and picked up a set of extension tubes for when I need to be closer. Once they resolve the issues I will revisit the 40 f2. It was, IMHO, a great walk around lens. I love my CV40, but sometimes I just need something to grab shots quickly with and the Batis 40 could eventually be the lens that would stay mounted most of the time.
saxguy wrote:
... sometimes I just need something to grab shots quickly with and the Batis 40 could eventually be the lens that would stay mounted most of the time.
This is also my reality. The Batis will probably see much more use than I expected initially, espacially after seeing its performance. I am very curious how the "forbidden" f-stops will look like
Contrast is high everywhere including the OOF area (which is a look some like and some don't). I think it renders similarly to the Batis 85.
I agree this could be an impressive landscapes lens and the close MFD definitely makes the Batis 40 very versatile.
Here are my crops many pages ago...This thread is getting huge! https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1563756/41#14708510
After the firmware fix, if the issues are corrected, I will definitely recommend this lens.
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