p.24 #1 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
andyptak wrote:
Fred - Sony 20mm or CV 21mm for microcontrast and character?
Assuming you are referring to the CV 21/1.4, I'd say they are close but there will be more blurring with the Voigtlander for its slight longer FOV and wider aperture. The Sony seems to give me a 19mm FL.
Both are high in contrast but I much prefer the Voigtlander colors as a starting point for editing. The Voigtlander has a more structured rendering at mid distance which is part of its character.
At the end, if you prefer shooting MF and want f/1.4, the Voigtlander is hard to beat. For me personally, I still prefer shooting with the Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon.
p.24 #2 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Fred Miranda wrote:
Assuming you are referring to the CV 21/1.4, I'd say they are close but there will be more blurring with the Voigtlander for its slight longer FOV and wider aperture. The Sony seems to give me a 19mm FL.
Both are high in contrast but I much prefer the Voigtlander colors as a starting point for editing. The Voigtlander has a more structured rendering at mid distance which is part of its character.
At the end, if you prefer shooting MF and want f/1.4, the Voigtlander is hard to beat. For me personally, I still prefer shooting with the Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon....Show more →
Fred; please remind me - why do you prefer the Loxia?
p.24 #4 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Post processing can do a lot, but the natural 'signature' of a lens can be different from manufacturer to manufacturer. While I'm not sure if the pure 'dynamic range' of colors is different, because some lenses are very vibrant, but I do think some lenses render images that are more pleasant to some people's eyes over others.
andyptak wrote:
Can a superior lens give the perception of greater dynamic range?
p.24 #5 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Fred Miranda wrote:
Assuming you are referring to the CV 21/1.4, I'd say they are close but there will be more blurring with the Voigtlander for its slight longer FOV and wider aperture. The Sony seems to give me a 19mm FL.
Both are high in contrast but I much prefer the Voigtlander colors as a starting point for editing. The Voigtlander has a more structured rendering at mid distance which is part of its character.
At the end, if you prefer shooting MF and want f/1.4, the Voigtlander is hard to beat. For me personally, I still prefer shooting with the Loxia 21/2.8 Distagon....Show more →
Except for the center of the frame, I found the general contrast and microcontrast of the CV21 to be better. Not even close with a bright backlit scene. The same that seen with the Sony 12-24. I believe it is from the plastic hybrid elements used in those lenses.My new Sony 20mm lens was decentered, so I sent it back for a refund, happy to keep the CV21.
Maybe I just have a great copy of the CV21, as it tested better than the two Loxia 21's (which were both very well centered, and near identical in IQ).
p.24 #6 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
DaveFP wrote:
Fred; please remind me - why do you prefer the Loxia?
Thanks !
I prefer the field curvature shape from the Loxia which is inwards compared to wavy from the Voigtlander. Slight better flare + LaCA performance, size and weight plays a role for me as well.
p.24 #7 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Fred Miranda wrote:
I prefer the field curvature shape from the Loxia which is inwards compared to wavy from the Voigtlander. Slight better flare + LaCA performance, size and weight plays a role for me as well.
p.24 #8 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Thanks. I was wondering if a really good lens can have excellent contrast and yet maintain the subtlety of the difference in hue and luminance as to render a scene as having apparent greater tonal range than it actually has. Sort of a psychological thing rather than actual science. Is that possible and if so does the brand name start with a Z, or are there others?
p.24 #9 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
All opinions: two of these variables are more or less fixed. Most lenses are close to each other in macro contrast, you can check this roughly by looking at RAW histos (framing must be exact for more rigour); black and white points will not vary greatly in distances apart, once adjusted. Some older lenses depart from this general rule, e.g. CZ's C-Sonnar, ultra contrasty old design.
CZ's famed micro-contrast is shared by most all same tier lenses - it's measured as MTF (focal plane contrast transfer). The two forms of contrast should not be confused. These measures apply to the full spectrum or for individual channels, green light gives a better result. But, if you look at a desaturated image, contrast/micro-contrast remain intact.
Within the bounds of the above, colour varies greatly between lenses, but it is interwoven with tonal increments. It's a phenomenon Mike Johnston called 'microcolor', this ability of certain lenses to break apart hues inside small steps in the tonal scale.
Signing off with a pointer to a real world example: Dustin Abbott's video comparo of two cutting edge 35mm lenses, Canon's 35/1.4II and Zeiss's 35/1.4 Milvus - similar design intents and price levels. To muddy the waters, the Zeiss not only shows massively better colour hue separation, but wider DOF, visible at the front of the scene as he scans around at 100% (another big topic). Load this text below into a search engine, load the video and go to 13.00 (f5.6) for quite a revelation:
Zeiss Milvus 1.4/35 vs Canon 35L II | Part 1: Resolution | 4K
'are there others?' Yes, the guys that make all the modern Zeiss lenses, who know all the glass formulations, who is using what, what works best, etc.
p.24 #10 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
This thread needed a bump Was not the greatest conditions this morning but here is a 3 shot pano. People crap all over Sony's IBIS but winds reached 72mp on top of Mt. Washington this morning. (you can look it up if you don't believe me) With out it none of my images would have been usable. Really struggled. Winter skull cap flew right off the my head while I was trying to hold the tripod steady (never to be seen again). Tried to compose using the train car as a wind break. But the wind was moving the train car and just blowing right under and around it. I think if I played around with the warp I could straighten some things out. In the end it was not the sunrise I was hoping for but it is still always worth getting up anyway. In this case never went to bed.
Added one more. Not great composition but the rock I was using to shield me from some of the wind did not provide alot of options. My tripod would literally go end over end if I did not have 2 hands holding it down.
I was actually surprised any of my shots were usable
p.24 #13 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
Not always crazy about this lens' colors, which is honestly my only criticism of this lens. However, this is one of the moments where I feel Sony's photography division from the ground up creates products with tinkering in mind: the neutral (dare I say bland) colors push very nicely.
First the vanilla shot
Then the edit
Not claiming to be a post processing whiz, but just wanted to say that anyone who is considering not getting this lens because of an inferiority of color reproduction/rendition: don't be too afraid. The output of this lens is pleasantly flexible.
p.24 #14 · Back On Sale: Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G lens for only $798 ($100 off)
The blandness does exist but it’s dependant on the lighting. This one’s in the shadows and backlit somewhat, so you’ll get a flat version. Better lighting=better color. I’ve noticed this with several lenses. The only photos I don’t need to edit much are ones taken on overcast days. That even/balanced/soft light is great. Cheerio
JVan_02 wrote:
Not always crazy about this lens' colors, which is honestly my only criticism of this lens. However, this is one of the moments where I feel Sony's photography division from the ground up creates products with tinkering in mind: the neutral (dare I say bland) colors push very nicely.
Not claiming to be a post processing whiz, but just wanted to say that anyone who is considering not getting this lens because of an inferiority of color reproduction/rendition: don't be too afraid. The output of this lens is pleasantly flexible.
Was not the greatest conditions this morning but here is a 3 shot pano. People crap all over Sony's IBIS but winds reached 72mp on top of Mt. Washington this morning. (you can look it up if you don't believe me) With out it none of my images would have been usable. Really struggled. Winter skull cap flew right off the my head while I was trying to hold the tripod steady (never to be seen again). Tried to compose using the train car as a wind break. But the wind was moving the train car and just blowing right under and around it. I think if I played around with the warp I could straighten some things out. In the end it was not the sunrise I was hoping for but it is still always worth getting up anyway. In this case never went to bed. 
