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Anyone have the FE 70-200/F4 yet?

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
To my delight, the May 7th ship date has been brought forward - it should arrive tomorrow!

On the bad side, I've got a conference all weekend and won't be able to play with it!

Ah well - you win some, you lose some!

Bill
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Got mine this morning. After using the 70-400 G A mount, this feels light and tiny! (Of course it's a much smaller zoom range,too.)

A few quick shots show it to be very crisp but no time to form an educated opinion - yet!

Bill
 

dwood

Well-known member
Got mine this morning. After using the 70-400 G A mount, this feels light and tiny! (Of course it's a much smaller zoom range,too.)

A few quick shots show it to be very crisp but no time to form an educated opinion - yet!

Bill
Bill, are you adapting the 70-400 to your A7R? That must be a sight to see. Enjoy your new 70-200. Still waiting over here.
 

dandrewk

New member
Thanks Joe. As mentioned in that thread, for some reason DPR down-rezzed the images, probably due to monthly upload quota limits. I'll repost next month (tomorrow) for much improved pixel peeking.

Let us know how you like the lens when you get it.
FWIW, I have reposted the lens test at DPR. This time, it looks like it uploaded at full resolution:

Sony FE 70-200 F4 Vs. Nikon 70-200 F2.8 Lens Test *Full Rez*: Sony Alpha/NEX E-mount Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Well, I finally got the chance to wander around with the new toy today. It's a pretty good lens and I'll certainly be keeping it.

As others have said in formal tests, it's soft at the edges at 200 mm and f4 but cleans up nicely by f8. It shows both purple fringing and chromatic aberration, particularly at the short end, but this is wholly corrected in Capture One. It's quite crisp and clean at all focal lengths otherwise.

This shot was converted in C1 at defaults except for the fringing and CA mentioned above. 200 mm at f4 (wide open) hand held (because that's the way I'll use it). The left edge was as sharp as the right so I've not included it. The blow-ups are a bit more than 100% because I blundered!





 
D

Deleted member 7792

Guest
I should point out that, much as I like this zoom, it's nowhere near the resolution of the extraordinary FE 55 f1.8!
I wouldn't use the words "nowhere near" to describe the one I received this afternoon. :)

The big brown truck arrived late today and delivered my lens. My first impressions are very positive - excellent build quality (comparable to Canon and Nikon equivalents), fast AF, removable tripod foot, IS and AF integrated well with the a7R (including vernier manual focus fine tuning), shorter and lighter than Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS with Metabones III adapter.

I’ll likely be using this lens a lot, and I particularly like the 200mm end of the focal length range. I predict that after another day or two of testing I’ll likely sell the Canon zoom (but keep the Metabones III).

Here's a handheld example, focus point (AF) was the bud in the center of the photo



And a 100% crop from the center:



No noise reduction applied, so please pardon any noise that disturbs you. Resolution looks excellent.

Tomorrow I'll check test the corners and different apertures. So far, so good. :thumbs:

Joe
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Now can you tell me if the AF points get close to the edges like the 55 1.8. I just need to get like 3/4 the way there so the AF points hits the face on a vertical.
 

dandrewk

New member
I wouldn't use the words "nowhere near" to describe the one I received this afternoon. :)

The big brown truck arrived late today and delivered my lens. My first impressions are very positive - excellent build quality (comparable to Canon and Nikon equivalents), fast AF, removable tripod foot, IS and AF integrated well with the a7R (including vernier manual focus fine tuning), shorter and lighter than Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS with Metabones III adapter.

I’ll likely be using this lens a lot, and I particularly like the 200mm end of the focal length range. I predict that after another day or two of testing I’ll likely sell the Canon zoom (but keep the Metabones III).

Here's a handheld example, focus point (AF) was the bud in the center of the photo

No noise reduction applied, so please pardon any noise that disturbs you. Resolution looks excellent.

Tomorrow I'll check test the corners and different apertures. So far, so good. :thumbs:

Joe
I'm glad you and Bill like the lens. I'm always a bit hesitant to give a thumbs up with one of the first reviews, but I felt the lens warranted it.

It's an easy lens to love and shoot with. After all the negative reactions to the 24-70, it looks like Sony has a winner here.
 

Shac

Active member
Joe, Bill and dandrewk - many thanks - the lens does indeed look promising. I'll hold off the GAS for a little while but no doubt will succumb :rolleyes:, and sell the Nikon equivalent
 

dandrewk

New member
Joe, Bill and dandrewk - many thanks - the lens does indeed look promising. I'll hold off the GAS for a little while but no doubt will succumb :rolleyes:, and sell the Nikon equivalent
My Nikon 70-200 f2.8 is about to hit the auction block.
 

tn1krr

New member
Now can you tell me if the AF points get close to the edges like the 55 1.8. I just need to get like 3/4 the way there so the AF points hits the face on a vertical.
Since the focusing on this lens is sensor based there is no difference to the FE55; place the focus point where you want and AF. I've had my FE 70-200 for a week now and absolutely love the AF freedom on vertical use (compared to my LA-EA4 + 85/1.4). Have only tested the lens on A7R so far, need to find time to put it to my A6000 for some AF-C/tracking work.

The OSS on this lens is very very good; IMO it is about same level as the new Canon hybrid IS on Canon 100/2.8L IS Macro. Our cat volunteered to pose for test shots and I nailed her eye details to very good level (pixel peepable with 36 MP of the A7R) with 1/13 shutter speed at max zoom eg. 200 mm. OSS helps the MF a lot too on longer zoom; compared to my 70-400 the MF is so much nicer.
 
D

Deleted member 7792

Guest
A couple more test shots, both handheld, to check center sharpness. I manually focused both (on the front face of the birdhouse) because I believe manual focusing with focus magnification and focus peaking on the a7R to be more accurate than AF. Just my opinion.

70mm:


100% crop from center:


200mm:


100% crop from center:


So far, I'm happy with the results of my tests. I haven't tested with a planar target or with apertures other than f/8. Stay tuned.

The LR Develop preset that I've been using is here if you'd like to try it.

Now can you tell me if the AF points get close to the edges like the 55 1.8. I just need to get like 3/4 the way there so the AF points hits the face on a vertical.
Guy, as "tn1krr" reported, the AF points can be moved to the edges. :thumbs:

Joe
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Awesome folks , exactly what I wanted to hear. Given the runway shows I do which are big productions and me being one of the owners of the company I have control over the production of the light output so in those shows F4 would work. In normal life with podium crap F4 maybe a issue, Bottom line not sure I can get rid of the 135 1.8 for it, not that I want to anyway but it was a thought. Ill probably rent this when I need it for the shows. Im just not the biggest fan of zooms although they are handy dandy sometimes. I may even just get a 200 2.8 Minolta but again not sure I can get the AF points I need and that is the wall I am running into with A mounts and the Sony 4 adapter. Sony needs to come out with a new adapter to get the A glass to the FE cameras Af points out to the edges. This is a REAL LIVE issue that they need to solve. This is one the big reason I am squarely looking at the A77II with A mounts and its 79 AF points is I can get to the edges with faster glass than the FE. Hell Im trying to get away from the bulk and Sony is not helping me with F4 FE glass.
 
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