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A7/r lens recommendations 90-135mm

Luvwine

New member
Isn't the MF damping less than ideal on the Contax G90? Optically, all the reviews I have read say great things. Only 90 I have us the Leica 99/2 apo, and I could not be more pleased. Got a mint copy off the Bay for a good price....
 

Annna T

Active member
Isn't the MF damping less than ideal on the Contax G90? Optically, all the reviews I have read say great things. Only 90 I have us the Leica 99/2 apo, and I could not be more pleased. Got a mint copy off the Bay for a good price....
I have both a Zeiss Contax G 90mm F2.8 and a Leica M 90mm F2. The former is way lighter and tack sharp. From what i have read, there is an adapter allowing AF for the Contax G lenses : these lenses were made for AF and you are right, they are not as nice to focus manually (but on my E-M5 i still prefer to use them over the M lenses i have, which are too heavy).
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
My biggest pleasure - so far - with the a7r has been the 135 Apo-Telyt M. I found it difficult to use with the M9. It was hard to frame and focus accurately, even with the viewfinder magnifier.

On the a7r it's an absolute gem. Easy to focus, crisp right across the frame. I'm now seeing what an extraordinarily sharp lens it is, even wide open. I'm having to put Bandaids on my eyeballs.

When our icy weather would moderates enough I'll post some images.
 
D

Deleted member 7792

Guest
My biggest pleasure - so far - with the a7r has been the 135 Apo-Telyt M. I found it difficult to use with the M9. It was hard to frame and focus accurately, even with the viewfinder magnifier.

On the a7r it's an absolute gem. Easy to focus, crisp right across the frame. I'm now seeing what an extraordinarily sharp lens it is, even wide open. I'm having to put Bandaids on my eyeballs.
+1

I agree Bill. A real pleasure to use with Sony's focus system.

Joe
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Wanted to report on the Zeiss 135 F2 Nikon mount. I know this lens is big and heavy . Certainly not as travel friendly as I would like myself. But I need this lens at least for a lot of client work and need the F2 speed. Now when in Yosemite I rigged up Jacks Sigma 1.4 converter to it and have to say I was floored that even at F4 there was simply no loss of quality at ALL. It became a 180 f 2.8 laser beam. I have a Kenko that I did not even try yet but I'm ordering the Sigma 1.4 almost immediately. You need the length I could not recommend this enough. Yea big, heavy and a solid brick but the focus throw on it I found much better on it over the Leica 135 3.4 which I would not use on people with that lens the focus throw is very short and hard to nail a human face over the Zeiss which is far easier. Obviously this depends on what your shooting but landscape only type work the Leica is very good but people and tough focusing requirements the Zeiss is better at it.just thought I would pass that on. If I had the money I might even consider the Leica just for travel.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Btw on the 85mm side of things again a big lens but I get Decent AF with it which I need for models the Sony 85 1.4 ZA with Sony adapter is brilliant at 1.6 on. Really like this lens plus you get AF which is nice if you have that need.. Obviously both the Zeiss 135 and Zeiss Sony 85ZA are bigger lenses it's really going to depend on need. Sure love to have 5 Leica M lenses for travel but that would not solve client needs.
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Guy, interesting recommendations. I wish I still had the back strength to use the combinations you suggest. I've been lucky to get good results with the Leica C-90 in a lens size which I can actually carry in the front pocket of my camera bag! I would very much like to own a 90-APO again but realistically both in money and size terms it ain't going to happen.

Obviously, this is cropped but hey, why give us a humoungus sensor if it ain't for cropping?

 

Luvwine

New member
Tough to know what to do for longer than 100mm. Sony will eventually release a 70-200/4 with IS but it is not small and not fast, and not out yet! The Zeiss 135/2 sounds great, and is F2, but is not that much longer than 90 (which I have covered with the Leica 90/2) and is quite heavy. The Leica 135 is smaller, but pricey and is slower at F 3.4.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Okay, a little in-the-field use experience now. I carried the A7 with both Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4 and Summicron-R 90mm f/2 the other day. I mostly shot with the 90mm. I have one word to report on their performance:

Outstanding!

No evidence of corner smearing or darkening with either, very little to no lateral CA, a tiny bit of fringing in extreme contrast situations (easily cleaned up in Lightroom 5.3). Clean, crisp detailing, snappy focusing, and beautiful smooth bokeh with both. They image as well with the A7 sensor as they do on film with the Leicaflex SL to my eyes ... which is very very well indeed. They are both rather large and heavy lenses (and remarkably similar in size and weight too!) but do not feel unbalanced or difficult to handle on the small A7 body.

I noticed a very small amount of moiré when shooting a high-contrast, fine-grained pebbly-shiny asphalt surface. Truth be told, I've seen the same with the M9, the E-M1, and the E-5. LR's moire correction brush cleans it up nicely.

Next week: I'll likely go out on the same walk with the Elmarit-R 135 and Elmarit-R 24mm. Carrying the Elmarit-R 180mm is more of an expedition ... ;-)

enjoy
G
 

mark1958

Member
Getting both is the way to go.. both 135mm lenses :)

Wanted to report on the Zeiss 135 F2 Nikon mount. I know this lens is big and heavy . Certainly not as travel friendly as I would like myself. But I need this lens at least for a lot of client work and need the F2 speed. Now when in Yosemite I rigged up Jacks Sigma 1.4 converter to it and have to say I was floored that even at F4 there was simply no loss of quality at ALL. It became a 180 f 2.8 laser beam. I have a Kenko that I did not even try yet but I'm ordering the Sigma 1.4 almost immediately. You need the length I could not recommend this enough. Yea big, heavy and a solid brick but the focus throw on it I found much better on it over the Leica 135 3.4 which I would not use on people with that lens the focus throw is very short and hard to nail a human face over the Zeiss which is far easier. Obviously this depends on what your shooting but landscape only type work the Leica is very good but people and tough focusing requirements the Zeiss is better at it.just thought I would pass that on. If I had the money I might even consider the Leica just for travel.
 

mark1958

Member
I tried a leica 135mm M Apo f3.4 today. There is darkening in the extreme 4 corners that does not get better or worse with aperture. I am wondering if others have seen with this lens.
 
well, a little short for this range.. but according to sony leaked roadmap, we should see a Zeiss 85/1.4 OSS very soon in the native FE-mount. I think I'll be holding out for that, with my short tele needs.

Longer 135 will be out next year, so that's a bit far off. I was thinking the upcoming 70-200 at first, but I think it's going to be too big for me. Need to figure out something else there..

//Juha
 
D

Deleted member 7792

Guest
I tried a leica 135mm M Apo f3.4 today. There is darkening in the extreme 4 corners that does not get better or worse with aperture. I am wondering if others have seen with this lens.
Haven't seen any darkening, smearing or color casts in the corners with mine at any aperture. Here's an example. Just a test shot, hand-held, done a couple of days ago. EXIF shown in border:



I love this lens on the A7R, and can focus it precisely with the EVF and focus magnification.

Joe
 

Annna T

Active member
I tried a leica 135mm M Apo f3.4 today. There is darkening in the extreme 4 corners that does not get better or worse with aperture. I am wondering if others have seen with this lens.
Try changing the adapter. I've read on this list that some adapters used on the Nex5-6-7 may not be compatible with the A7s and could create problems of this kind : their smallest opening diameter is large enough for APSC sensor, but not for a FF. The fact that changing aperture does nothing to improve the corners seems to point in that direction too.
 

mark1958

Member
I thought about the adapter but the one i am using works perfectly on the other M lenses I have used. I have a second adapter coming today for another purpose so I will compare. thanks

Try changing the adapter. I've read on this list that some adapters used on the Nex5-6-7 may not be compatible with the A7s and could create problems of this kind : their smallest opening diameter is large enough for APSC sensor, but not for a FF. The fact that changing aperture does nothing to improve the corners seems to point in that direction too.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Mark I was thinking the same thing. I tried Woodys 135 but that was with a metabones adapter that he had and it seemed to work fine in the corners. Let us know if the new one works okay
 
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