A900. Your Best Set Of Lenses

[edwardkaraa]

Jae, have you tried the mentioned lenses, apart from the ZA 85?

I'm a bit confused by statements like yours especially that they involve different platforms with different sensor characteristics.

The 85L is better (I don't like the word beats) than the ZA between 2.8 and 5.6. The ZA has the best performance of any 85 from WO to just below 2.8.

The 24-70 has the best performance of any equivalent zoom at all apertures except in the very extreme corners which is a very very small part of the frame. At 35mm it is sharper than any prime I have ever used.

In any case, no other brand will give you the Zeiss characteristics, so if you're after the Zeiss look, 3D and high micro contrast, as well as the sharpest look at normal printing sizes (due to high micro contrast at the right frequencies), the choice is obvious.

The 100/2.8 macro is a direct Minolta port without any updates, its a bit wooped by the Nikon 105mm VR and even the Canon 100mm Macro F2.8.

Personally I think the best in class lenses for the Sony A900 are:

85mm ZA F1.4
135mm ZA F1.8
16-35mm ZA F2.8
135mm STF F2.8/4

You're not going to find better lenses in that range for any platform. The only lens that beats the 85mm ZA F1.4 is the Canon L F1.2 85mm.

The 24-70mm F2.8 while being a good lens has much poor corners than other lenses of its class.

 

[dhsimmonds]

The 100/2.8 macro is a direct Minolta port without any updates, its a bit wooped by the Nikon 105mm VR and even the Canon 100mm Macro F2.8.

Personally I think the best in class lenses for the Sony A900 are:

85mm ZA F1.4
135mm ZA F1.8
16-35mm ZA F2.8
135mm STF F2.8/4

You're not going to find better lenses in that range for any platform. The only lens that beats the 85mm ZA F1.4 is the Canon L F1.2 85mm.

The 24-70mm F2.8 while being a good lens has much poor corners than other lenses of its class.

i would pretty much agree with this list but would add the ZA 24-70 as away from the 24mm end it is still a super lens. Also if you should ever need a lens longer than 135mm the Sony 70-400G produces a great image just a pity about it's silver colour!:wtf:

 

[Lonnie Utah]

The 24-70 has the best performance of any equivalent zoom at all apertures except in the very extreme corners which is a very very small part of the frame. At 35mm it is sharper than any prime I have ever used.

I was shooting with this lens tonight and good lord, I agree with all of this. This lens is just superb.

 

[roweraay]

The 24-70mm F2.8 while being a good lens has much poor corners than other lenses of its class.

I disagree. I have all of the lenses you listed above, including the 16-35ZA and the 24-70ZA. I have also had the Canon 24-70L.

The Zeiss 24-70 will whoop the Canon to kingdom come, for sheer quality....on Full-frame. Not very familiar with the Nikon version however (shot on the D3X, and not on low resolution products like the D700/D3/D3s).

In fact,the Zeiss 24-70 is one of my most used lenses on the A900 and I use it for its sheer excellence. It is true that at 24mm, the extreme corners don't become razor sharp unless you stop down to f/11, but that is about the only weakness I know of, of this lens. In all other respects it is an exceptional performer.

 

[Mark K]

Good to know. I have them both in the cart.

What I shoot is whatever is around. I tend to use a lens until it gets in my way, then switch to a different one for awhile. Then....

In my Nik world, my 700 lives with a 60macro. I like the 60 so much I have 3

On a recent trip I lived with a Zeiss 100 mounted on a F3. Since it was macro I was able to do snaps of people ... from way too close ... but then, this is for me, not them , nor the restaurant, hotel, gas company...

It is retirees prerogative. Back to my art school days, but now with supplies.

richard.l
// on a 2 year tour of texas

You are the only other person I know to shoot everything using macro lens. I keep 50/2.8 macro on my camera for far to long

 

[richard.L]

You are the only other person I know to shoot everything using macro lens. I keep 50/2.8 macro on my camera for far to long

Just returned last evening from shooting in the "lower left" corner of TX... what looks like "fire country" right now, because of the ash and such from the fires.

Anyhow, my main camera was a Hassy, but my sidekick was my F3 with the Zeiss 100 Macro... it would come out of the truck first and get the ridgeline shot, then discover at my feet new growth... some with buds..
having the macro on it was like carrying an extra camera...

then I'd get out the blad, tripod, backs and get the "real" shot, still, those setup shots often turn out capturing more of the situation...

now to the very slow part of film..... soup.

richard.L // back from the remote mountains of Texas.

 

[Lonnie Utah]

It is true that at 24mm, the extreme corners don't become razor sharp unless you stop down to f/11, but that is about the only weakness I know of, of this lens. In all other respects it is an exceptional performer.

If I'm shooting in that range exclusively, I'm putting on the 16-35 anyway....

 

[FlypenFly]

Yup in fact I have except for the 24-70 and only because every review I've read of this lens seems to reflect the same opinion of great center performance let down by corner performance.

Hmm I have tried the 85L and from both my experience and reviews, it does seem to be sharper and has less CA wide open. Above F4, I honestly can't tell the difference anymore but just about any decent lens is sharp enough at F5.6 so the whole point of these fast lenses are its characteristics at its fastest apertures.

Jae, have you tried the mentioned lenses, apart from the ZA 85?

I'm a bit confused by statements like yours especially that they involve different platforms with different sensor characteristics.

The 85L is better (I don't like the word beats) than the ZA between 2.8 and 5.6. The ZA has the best performance of any 85 from WO to just below 2.8.

The 24-70 has the best performance of any equivalent zoom at all apertures except in the very extreme corners which is a very very small part of the frame. At 35mm it is sharper than any prime I have ever used.

In any case, no other brand will give you the Zeiss characteristics, so if you're after the Zeiss look, 3D and high micro contrast, as well as the sharpest look at normal printing sizes (due to high micro contrast at the right frequencies), the choice is obvious.

 

[FlypenFly]

Test

 

[FlypenFly]

For some reason the board ate my post?

The only lens I haven't tried of the ones Italked about is the 24-70 and mostly because the reviews I've read of it all seem to be unanimous in that its great central performance is really let down by its corner performance when compared to the Canikon and Tamron alternatives.

This is no big deal for a fast portrait prime but I think for a general purpose lens, it should be better.

 

[Lonnie Utah]

For some reason the board ate my post?

The only lens I haven't tried of the ones I talked about is the 24-70 and mostly because the reviews I've read of it all seem to be unanimous in that its great central performance is really let down by its corner performance when compared to the Canikon and Tamron alternatives.

This is no big deal for a fast portrait prime but I think for a general purpose lens, it should be better.

What's wrong with this picture??? You malign a lens you haven't tired, while all those that have this lens disagree with your assertions.

 

[FlypenFly]

I'm sure its a wonderful lens and takes great pictures.

 

[Lonnie Utah]

I'm sure its a wonderful lens and takes great pictures.

You're avoiding the point. The point is that you are basing you comments off 2nd hand knowledge (reports), while everyone here with 1st hand knowledge disagrees with you. Do you think that you might be incorrect?

 

[FlypenFly]

Do you ever feel you might be incorrect? It might fit your needs but it seems some people who go through hundreds of lenses and who compare them might have a different perspective?

At the end of the day, I'm sure it's a wonderful lens that takes great pictures.

 

[Lonnie Utah]

Do you ever feel you might be incorrect? It might fit your needs but it seems some people who go through hundreds of lenses and who compare them might have a different perspective?

And do you believe everything you read or do you go out in the world and see for yourself?

 

[FlypenFly]

Yes, I go out and try every possible lens and camera combination in the world.

It's taking a while though...

 

[Ocean]

I started using Zeiss ZA 24-70/2,8 (with A900) very recently and I really like the way Zeiss renders the images throughout the zoom range. While it’s not a perfect lens for the far corners, the center sharpness, contrast, and colors are excellent for all aperture. I also have an Nikon 24-70/2.8 G (with Nikon D700). Technically, the Nikon may be a better lens, but I prefer the Zeiss ZA zoom for its center renditions.

I recently purchased a lens from Guy, a Minolta 200/2.8 APO G HS. It’s an extremely sharp lens, has beautiful bokeh and color rendition, yet very compact in size. Highly recommended!

Cheers,

 

[edwardkaraa]

I'm sure its a wonderful lens and takes great pictures.

It certainly is

Every time I look at my archives, I realize that my best photos were taken with this lens. The Zeissness is so amazing. Now I very much regret having sold my ZA zooms in favor of an all prime line up.

 

[FlypenFly]

IMO, the best zoom currently available to Sony shooters is an adapted C/Y Zeiss 35-70mm F3.4 MM model. The Zeisness of it is outstanding.

It is of course the opposite of SSM in that it's manual focus but man, the quality of the samples people are posting look like they exceed the performance of most Canikon primes from a zoom!

Of course you have to consider it doesn't reach that performance until F5.6 or F8 but jeez, definitely near the top of my list as my next lens.

 

[picman]

It certainly is

Every time I look at my archives, I realize that my best photos were taken with this lens. The Zeissness is so amazing. Now I very much regret having sold my ZA zooms in favor of an all prime line up.

Edward, I could not agree more about the 24-70, and I must admit I felt a pang of your coming pain when you told us you sold the zooms. Oh well, it's just money, go get them again :ROTFL: