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Seems a good lens, online it receive a lot of bashing for the corners at the extreme ends, but really, we are speaking of corners and EXTREME ENDS.
With a profile for auto correction on major software it will be gold.
Canikon both offers 24-70 f4 that cost almost the same (or even more) so I would like to see a match against those lenses.
I suspect the Sony/Zeiss would sport a lot of center/half frame (the most important area) sharpness and very good contrast.
Yes, I'm following these first reviews with some interest, as I have one on pre-order. Fortunately, they're not expected to ship here in the U.S. until next month, so I have plenty of time to evaluate whether or not to keep the preorder going. I haven't seen anything to dissuade me yet. A little corner softness at 24mm is to be expected even in a decent prime lens, much less a zoom like this.
Hopefully we'll see more reports by the US release. I don't mind wide open soft corners as long as it is sharp stopped down. That is the big question. It has Zeiss colors and contrast which should be a nice travel lens.
Normally Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II is the benchmark, but when I checked it at dxo, f4L lens is better then f2.8L except the aperture. I found Roger's 24-70 tests at lensrentals, which show clearly why 24-70 II is the benchmark:
Seeing as how this is a "Sample Archive" without any sample images, I figured that it's about time we posted some photos in this thread. And though it was far from the best conditions for photography this afternoon, I've been too busy at work to get out much. So here's all that I could come up with today:
But I also wanted to test the lens, to see if it really is worth the money I shelled out for it. So for my "test," I decided to see how this lens compared with my Canon FD 24mm f/2.8, which I originally purchased to tide me over until this lens was available here in the U.S. The results astonished me, and in a good way.
I set up my camera on a tripod, ISO 100, cloudy WB, and on a 10-sec. timer. Then I ripped off a series of images at apertures from wide open to f/11. I figured that it wouldn't be a fair fight. After all, a prime is going to beat the pants off of a zoom, right?
Well, no.
I won't bore you with the whole series, but here are some images with both lenses at f/4. They are raws, developed in Lightroom at the default settings, with only lens profiles and CA correction applied, and trust me, I only applied CA correction because the Canon's edges were atrocious, with purple and green fringes galore. The Sony didn't really need much help there.
This is the view @ 24mm:
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And here are the crops; left, center, and right, all shot at f/4. The Sony on top, and the Canon on the bottom:
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The Canon has a warmer color, and hold its own in the center. But I think the Sony spanks it hard at the edges of the frame. And bear in mind that the Sony is wide open, whereas the Canon is closed down one full stop. Plus, the Canon is a prime lens with a decent reputation, going up against a zoom lens. And though I won't bore you with any of the other numerous test shots I took, the Sony continues to heap abuse on the Canon through all apertures up to f/11, beyond which I have little interest in shooting.
So. I'm very, very happy with this lens. Yes, it is a little soft at 70mm. But honestly, my intention is to use it mainly for landscape photography, where I'm going to want to keep the foreground and distant horizon in focus. So my guess is that it's going to be parked at ~24mm f/8 for 90% of its use. And from what I've seen so far, it is brilliant (for a zoom) from about 30mm to 60mm, even wide open. So it'll be a great, versatile, walk-around lens.
And no, I'm not going to test it against my SEL35F28Z. I know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
The more I see from this lens, the more I ponder buying it. I think I'll hold off until there's a bit more clarity on the wide angle primes/ultrawide zooms that should be released over the next year - I mostly stitch my landscapes, so the FE35 is great for that, and smaller. And the 55 is magical. If they release a 21/2.8 Distagon that's not absurdly large and heavy, those three might be 'it'. But on the other hand, my most used and loved canon lens was the 24-105/4.0, and I love the Zeiss look, so...
Thanks. I don't have any portrait close up shots. I guess I was more concerned about wide end. SLRGear review has nice portraits, but I can always post some cat shots
24-70mm matches Oly 12mm f2 dof and has half a stop more dof then the Oly 1.8 primes.
This lens seems more and more interesting with every image I see, I have a question if someone of you early adopters can help me.
Would you please take some shots against the sun in a bright day? I would like to see how it handles contrast and flares in real life conditions (as it is always a weak point for zooms), and also the appearance of the sun with very closed f-stop.
Would you please take some shots against the sun in a bright day? I would like to see how it handles contrast and flares in real life conditions (as it is always a weak point for zooms), and also the appearance of the sun with very closed f-stop.
Here you go, Utik. Nothing "artistic," all shot raw, uncropped, and straight out of Lightroom with no processing:
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24mm f/4
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24mm f/8
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70mm f/4
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24mm f/4
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24mm f/22
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70mm f/22
And I thought this was kind of interesting, from a few nights ago. Shot at 24mm, f/4. But notice the stars around the lights in the center of the frame. I had never noticed anything like that from a lens wide open. Of course, there's also some nasty coma on the left above the couple's heads.
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Thank you very much, kind and fast!
It seems to handle very well flares except for smaller apertures, which may depend from sensor reflections on the inside of the closed blades, also good color and good contrast, not bad at all for walkaround, but I think I will have to search the definitive sun lens (maybe the 35?).
Regarding the night shot, I believe it has been already pointed out that the aperture nevere closes completely, so it makes little stars like those.
