I'm a Sony shooter who's about to pull the trigger on the CV 50/1.0, but I'm torn between the VM and E mount version. I have the opportunity to get a like-new VM version for a great price so I'm having a hard time making a decision, since money is also a factor.
I like the rendering, feel and look of the VM a lot more, but obviously the FE is optically superior since it's optimized for Sony sensors.
My main concern with the VM version is the mid-zone dip at infinity on Sony sensors. I saw it was definitely there thanks to Fred's comparison, but these are 12,4x magnified shots on a 40+ MP camera, and we don't have the full size images for context. Since I'm shooting 12MP pics (a7s) and mostly video (astro stuff), I'm wondering how much of an issue this mid-zone dip would be for me at these lower resolutions. It's hard to tell how "big" the dip is in context, without looking at the full image (asking if you still have those just in case!).
In fact I also use a Laowa 35/0.95 and even though there's technically a visible dip in the mid-field (BastianK's review shows it clearly), I just don't see it practically at all on my side, despite shooting lots of starry skies wide open. Stars look evenly sharp across the frame, at least on 4K footage. So while it's there, it's not severe enough to be a problem, even in my use case where even sharpness at infinity is crucial.
So I'd like being able to evaluate how much dip there is on the VM version compared to my 35/0.95, for instance, because such field curvature levels would be acceptable for my use, making me more comfortable with my purchase and saving me a significant amount of money ($1,1k V.S full price).
I'm open to any opinions, and I'm not against getting the FE version by principle. It's both an emotional and economical dilemma. The VM looks more appealing to me, and I like its more characterful bokeh rendering. I could accept the IQ tradeoff, but it has yet to be quantified and contextualized.
Some of you could say spending more than $1k on a lens and miss out on performance by not choosing the better version is not reasonable, and I don't disagree either. Anyway, I hope some of you VM mount + Sony shooters chime in and give me your two cents! Thanks for reading me
Jan 15, 2026 at 01:39 PM
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