IlyaSnopchenko wrote: rscheffler wrote:
I was presented the opportunity to buy the 24-105 STM for CAD 200.00 and was pleasantly surprised at how usable it is. 24mm is the weakest focal length due to all the distortion correction and resulting image scaling, but my copy is very good at 28 and 35mm. It loses some sharpness on the left side in the 50-70mm range but is quite even across the frame at 105mm, which is good since it's already at f/7.1.
My point, I guess, is these 'cheap' STM zoom lenses actually seem pretty decent if you can live with the slow variable aperture range. I'm tempted to give the 16 and/or the 15-30 a try, too. I think these are a step up from the 'cheap' EF lenses of years past.
I seem to recall you have fond memories of the EF 24-85 zoom... I had limited experience with it, though had more time with the 28-105/3.5-4.5. IMO the 24-105 STM is a sharper lens.
Well, I still have the 24-85 (although this is my second copy, bought in 2017), and it works pretty well even on the high megapixel FF body. At least when I took it out for a spin a few days ago. (wish I could post some samples but I need to get some kind of photo hosting going on because the social media disallow direct linking and embedding now, it seems...)
Looking at the reviews of the 24-105 and 15-30 STM (or the 16, anyway), doesn't look like something I would really want to put in front of my cameras. But all right, I never did consider the RF system anyway, even as I have finally pulled the trigger on a mirrorless camera.
I've not yet tried adapting the E mount lenses, though the idea of running mixed systems is appealing on paper. In practice, it's a bit of a hassle as you constantly have to pull the muscle memory back and forth.
My advice to check out the Samyang 18mm for the OP's E-mount system stands. I've seen it used by at least one of my colleagues here, which means it's probably good enough for pro work (which lens isn't, by now, anyway).
I tead reviews about the Samyang/Rokinon AF 18mm f2.8. The consensus seemed to be that it was a matter of luck regarding who received a good copy of the lens; consistant quality control seemed to be a big issue with Samyang/Rokinon. With my luck if there are 3 out of 4 lenses that are deffective, I would end up with all 3 at some point or another. Odds are usually stacked against me.
Also, 18mm is really not much wider than 20mm. For my shooting purposes, 16mm would be ideal. However, I would be willing to go down to 14mm, but again, quality control issues become a concern.
I honestly don't understand why Sony or any 3rd party lens manufacturer can't come up with a decent 16mm f2.8.
I'm actually hesitant to throw any more money at Sony at this time. I'm sort of at a crossroads. I already purchased the Canon RF 16mm f2.8 STM, and I'm considering getting the 24mm and 85 mm cheap RF versions; not so much for the price, but for the weight/size/aperture speed found in these affordable lenses.
Feb 14, 2023 at 07:20 AM
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