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Just a heads-up for you folks having issues with the new FE 55mm f1.8

nikonf

Member
:banghead: I just wanted to let you folks know that you can expect more QC problems with Sony Zeiss ZA lenses than you may be accustomed to.
I have been using the Sony A900 since 2009 and I had a serious problem with my Zeiss 24-70 f2.8 ZA.
I know one should not expect this issue with a $2000 lens, except my lens had a serious wobble in the lens zoom barrel, even at the closed position.
While Zeiss can design superb lenses, it seems the Sony QC is not up to the mark!
I have also spoken to other owners of the lens that had the same issues.
I love Zeiss optics. I just wish Sony would have the same excellent quality control on these lenses that Zeiss has on the manual focus lenses for Canon and Nikon.
I will keep my fingers crossed with the 55mm f1.8.
Wishing you all good luck,
Mike
 

GrahamB

New member
I've shot Sony (and before that Minolta) since 2007. Four cameras (a700, a850, a77, a7R) all still in service, and 3 Sony branded lenses (ZA 24mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200 f/2.8 G). Not one problem.

Graham
 

jonoslack

Active member
I've shot Sony (and before that Minolta) since 2007. Four cameras (a700, a850, a77, a7R) all still in service, and 3 Sony branded lenses (ZA 24mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200 f/2.8 G). Not one problem.

Graham
Hi There Graham
I'd quite agree - I've had less problem with Sony kit in terms of QC than Nikon or Pentax or Leica . . . . . only Olympus seem to have been better.

. . . I've had a700 A77, A900, A65, NEX 7 . . . Zeiss 24-70, Sony 70-300 ZA 24 f2 50 f1.4 (and lots more).

Worth remembering that the ZF stuff is, like Voigtlander, (mostly) made in Japan by Cosina rather than by Zeiss (and excellently good it is too)
 

fotografz

Well-known member
2 A900s, 2 Sony speed-lights, A55, NEX5, A99 and its speed-light, ZA16-35, ZA24/1.8, ZA24-70/2.8, ZA85/1.4, Za 135/1.8, 70-200/2.8G (since sold) ... 4 years of shooting weddings, portraits, personal projects, and travel. The only issue I had was the first ZA24/1.8 I got needed to much in-camera focus calibration for my tastes, so I sent it back for another which was much better.

Recently added the ZA50/1.4 and A7R.

I honestly do not know whether Sony's service experience is good or bad, since I've never had to use it.

Not to say your experience is not valid.

I wonder what role Zeiss plays after the design is completed? Carl Zeiss Institute in Japan used to have some say about QC ... for example, the Contax N 50/1.4 production launch was delayed by Zeiss until Kyocera got it's QC act together.

- Marc
 

stephengilbert

Active member
The internet in a nutshell:

1. Watch out for those Sony lenses; their quality control is not up to par.

2. I will not receive mine until Tuesday.
 

barjohn

New member
I received mine and returned it. It wasn't due to poor optical performance, because optical performance was extremely high. Sharper than the FE3528Z. However, it is considerably slower to AF and frequently tends to hunt, even in good light. The 35mm is quick to AF and only rarely hints in low light. Blur was easily induced in the lens and at 1/80sec f1.8 I got zero keepers out of 24 shots. That doesn't happen with the 35mm. It appears that it wants to be shot on a tripod and that isn't my style of shooting.
 

bcaslis

New member
I've had no hunting on the FE55 and it focuses the fastest of any lens I've tried on the A7. I've gotten pixel-level sharp shots at 1/40. So I don't know what issue you are experiencing but I've seen nothing like this in the 5 days I've had mine.
 

kuau

Workshop Member
I've had no hunting on the FE55 and it focuses the fastest of any lens I've tried on the A7. I've gotten pixel-level sharp shots at 1/40. So I don't know what issue you are experiencing but I've seen nothing like this in the 5 days I've had mine.
Its because you are in the minority, you went for the A7 like I did and didn't get sucked into the 36mp craze.
 

bcaslis

New member
Its because you are in the minority, you went for the A7 like I did and didn't get sucked into the 36mp craze.
Maybe, but I just don't see how someone would find the 55 to be a slower, worse focusing lens than the 35 no matter if it was the A7 or A7r.
 

yatlee

Member
A7r, zeiss 55/1.8. This is my first AF lens on the A7r. I used the smallest focus area when I have the lens wide open. Focus is quite fast and accurate.
 

barjohn

New member
All I can say is that was my experience on an A7R. It was noticeably slower to AF and frequently could not find focus unless there was a vertical line within the focus target box. I tried playing with the box size and larger boxes improved it some but it was still noticably slower than the 35mm. I tried in daylight and at night. It was much worse at night even though it is a faster lens. It seemed counter intuitive to me. On the other hand the glass is bigger and heavier so moving the glass to focus may be the issue.

Yatlee, try the 35mm and you will see the difference.
 
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