philip_pj wrote:
(and I really dislike single indicator measures, being a statistician)
+1
wilco23 wrote:
My requirement is edge to edge sharpness @ f8 and f11
If you donīt mind great EtoE sharpness right from wide open, the VS is both sharp and has near APO correction. The latter which I doubt that the Canon 100-300L would have. This based on the superior CA correction of the VS compaired to the Canon 300L4IS and 400L5.6.
In seeing what I can from Ebay photos of the lens and the aftermarket collars - I was assuming that it would not allow 100mm - too bad - but 115mm is still pretty good. Thanks for that information.
I looked at some of the RRS collars - nicely expensive and very well made - I would need to get a lens in my hands to completely understand the mechanics but I am envisioning a retro-fit foot mount that would fasten to the lens barrel (machine screws) and be relieved to allow the sliding barrel to retract to full position. I don't know if it's possible - it's a lot of custom work (of which I'm tooled to do) - sounds like a winter project - still need to find a lens.
The distance between the focusing ring and the aperture ring is 7.4mm. There is a shallow recess about 1.5mm wide in front of the aperture ring. So there is at the most 6mm of barrel to grip the lens at 100mm focal length. With proper design of the collar, this should be plenty. Anyone wanting Imperial inches may divide the mm with 25.4.
FWIW I have had no problem with the lens on 7D or 5D2 with the tripod attached to the body. Maybe itīs because Iīm mostly a freehand shooter because I find tripods in general to be a pain. A frontheavy camera wont add much to the agony I suppose.
Z250SA - thanks for the dims - mm is fine - I do a lot of product design and had approximated similar dims from the scale of the photos. I'm thinking of a half round attached to the lens body and to an RRS (Arca) tripod foot - it would allow for three points of connection on the lens tube.
It is pretty light weight - semi-hand holding and camera on a tripod will work pretty well - I did the same with a Canon 70-200/4 of which I sometimes used a collar. I find myself in some pretty hellacious weather and wind at times - dark / longer exposures - I use a very lightweight tripod & ballhead.
AhamB - as I mentioned earlier in this thread - I watched an Ebay - mint, original owner - sell for $645 usd - right after being introduced to this lens. If I had only known they where that scarce.
These are straight from DPP without any improvements except a few clicks of brightness adjustment if needed. Downres to 1200x800 jpg-quality at 7. No cropping. 100-300 Vario-Sonnar on 5D2, wide open or f/5.6. Enjoy?
Yes, the 100-300 can do BIF on a 5D2. Got a string of 10 images, all sharp, wide open at 300mm, ISO 3200 (got to love the high ISO capability!), no added NR.
Nice! & a very nice series - the BIF's turned out well - the high ISO gives that lens a new life - good overall color considering the gray light - gray light is such an equalizer. Thanks!
Thanks both! Yes, the autumn grey light can be challenging bordering to depressing. But itīs still light after all.
Anden, I presume that images is with wide open lens? Funny how such "slow" lens can produce such nice bokeh separation. Do you still have those beautifully coloured leaves in the trees? Our were torn of by three separate storms within a week three weeks ago. Almost seven months to new leaves. Must fill void with new glass! Zeiss? Please?
Unfortunatly, after getting this Vario-Sonnar to go with my 21ZE and 35-70VS, bag spiked with perhaps the 35/1.4 or 40mm Distagon, I find no reason to look for anything particular anymore.
Yes the shot was wide open. Around 150 mm. Some leaves are still on the trees but tonight it has been really really windy so I donīt expect them to stay very long...
As for the kit. I have the 21, 35/1.4 35-70 and 100-300 + the 85/1.4. I really don't need anything else.
For users of this long vario-sonnar, I have a question, since I have one of these lenses being custom mounted to Sony by Leitax. Zeiss say in their 100-300mm data sheet:
"As special types of glass with a somewhat higher temperature dependence have been used, a fixed infinity stop has been dispensed with."
Have you noticed any issues to do with infinity focus on this one? Infinity focus shots over large valleys is one of the main uses I have for this lens, and I generally like to trust the infinity stop, and often have little choice in poor light in any case.
Precise infinity stop is a finicky thing. Zeiss decision to push the infinity focus decision to the user is a clear sign of it. Itīs apparently impossible to fix the inf position on some lenses, the long VS being one of them. On my bodies I allways use live view focusing if I want to nail the focus placement. But this is the case with almost all my adapted lenses, nothing that I have noted especially with the long VS. But I have to admit that I find the accurate inf stop a pleasure to use with the 21ZE. Otoh the DOF of a wide angle lens is substantial compaired to a tele lens.
I would perhaps use the word characteristic in stead of issue in this case, and with all lenses where focusing by design go beyond infinity. If I get characteristics as very sharp and very low chromatic aberrations but loosing inf focus stop, itīs a net gain, at least for me. As this lens is "pixel sharp", it also allows one to note any imprecisions in focusing within the capabilities of the whole package.
Z250SA wrote:
These are straight from DPP without any improvements except a few clicks of brightness adjustment if needed. Downres to 1200x800 jpg-quality at 7. No cropping. 100-300 Vario-Sonnar on 5D2, wide open or f/5.6. Enjoy?
Must fill void with new glass! Zeiss? Please? 