p.117 #1 · Portrait and People Image Thread using Sony
Two from a 44 year old Carl Zeiss lens, the Contax 100mm f3.5. I had forgotten how fabulous the skin tones were in all light conditions, courtesy of the lead oxide Zeiss used back then. I'd love the Chinese to remake these old CY lenses, even if (as they should) they keep quiet about the lead that was so much a part of the range, along with the T* coatings of the day. We are talking 15% to 40% lead oxide by weight, depending on whether they were light, dense, or extra-dense flint glass.
p.117 #12 · Portrait and People Image Thread using Sony
The ones you like are great preventatives for further bouts of GAS, and it may be that portrait shooters suffer that condition more than most, I know I do. (Simera 75/1.4).
p.117 #16 · Portrait and People Image Thread using Sony
Garmadon wrote:
Love thag lens , nice portrait.
I see that you also have the 35mm f2.8 za , do you find these 2 similar ?
Interesting question. The Sony 35mm f/2.8 is just as sharp in the center of the frame as the Sony 55mm f/1.8. This tiny lens still delivers good results for landscapes, but most people don't realize that it has a "W"-shaped focus field. Because of this, you need to focus deeper into the scene to get sharper corners. You'll need to stop down to around f/8-f/11, though. Even so, you'll never get "perfect corners" on both sides... or maybe so. It will depend on the scene.
Most "classically designed" 35mm lenses have the same issue. You can read Roger Cicala's articles for more information about this.
Besides, this lens has, for me, two ways of working: "portrait/isolation mode" and "landscape mode."
You'll notice that stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 doesn't improve the corners, in fact, the opposite can happen. You may actually get better results at f/2.8. Instead, you'll get impressive sharpness in the center of the frame, with good, soft rendering around it.
This lens has its strengths and weaknesses, but it's sharp, compact, ridiculously small, and incredibly lightweight for a FF format. It shares with its brother (55 f1.8) the same "Zeiss look" and very good flare resistance.
