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philber wrote:
It is not such an easy lens for me to describe, because it has no competition to compare it to on NEX 7. This is what I can say. I can find no compatibility issue between the WATE and the 7, even at 16mm and wide open and in the extreme corners.
I have compared it to the ZM 18, but on the lesser NEX 5N, where I consder the results to be on a par. The Zeiss is -justly- famous for sharpness and contrast. The WATE, by comparison, gives a more delicate rendering at 18mm, and no less sharp, maybe even a bit sharper in the extreme corners, though that could be a matter of compatibility with the camera, but in a less in-your-face way. Which one one chooses is IMHO a matter of preferences, not of performance or quality.
The WATE displays just the faintest trace of CA, only just enough that I can't say that there is absolutely none, and shows very good flare resistance indeed.
While I only used a Elmar 24 for a few comparison shots on my 5N, if I had to guess, I would say that the WATE is probably not quite as good as the Elmar, but really not by much. But of course, the WATE is much more versatile than any single prime, though best performance seems to be at 18mm, closely followed by 16mm, with 21mm trailing a bit behind.
And, of course, it offers this virtually unnlimited DOF where everything is sharp from 30cm to infinity. Though I know that, on FM, "real men do it wide open", on the WATE it is meaningless. But beware, on the NEX 7, the difference between critically sharp and hyperfocally sharp is plainly visible, especially with the huge magnification that viewing at 100% brings with a camera of such high pixel count.
Oveall, a tremendous landscape lens on FF and crop, and a fantastic cityscape lens as well on crop....Show more →
Interesting, did you buy your WATE new? I ask, because my WATE, which I purchased used, is at its best at 16mm, then 21mm and lastly 18mm. It is stellar on the 5n, but it needs F/8.0 to achieve full corner sharpness on the 7. When I say this, it is still better than almost all other options. The Zeiss 18mm that I had is ever so slightly sharper, and I will be testing a new Leica 18mm this week.
The WATE seems to have that uber micro detail on my lens. I will be testing my WATE on an M9 as well.
Andrew
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