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Loxia or FE 55?

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Yeah I red that. Interesting read.
My summicron M and the Minolta 58/1,2 are witholding me from buying any rather expensive new 5omm lenses.
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

True, but if the lens is designed so it cannot illuminate the full sensor plane it needs a redesign. The diameter of the bayonet is smaller than the diagonal of the sensor and there is a need for the bayonet, too.

Sigma is a commercial producer of lenses. If they don't make lenses for the FE-mount it is because it does not make economic sense according to their market analysis. It is as simple as that.

Best regards
Erik

Sigma is a full of BS. It is because of the short registry there are more opportunities for optimization of the lens.

Check this out (the details): https://www.smpte.org/sites/default/files/24-1100-TS1-2-C&P01-Caldwell.pdf
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

The Zony (FE 55) 55/1.8 seems to be an excellent lens for the price. Diglloyd is testing both Loxias, and I got the impression that compared to the Zony lenses they are a bit aged.

The main issues seems to be field curvature, but rendition may be pleasant. The images Diglloyd have posted are not very sharp (unusable) at full aperture, but they sharpen up nicely around f/4 (what I have seen).

I miss a high quality 85 mm lens for the FE mount, but the A-mount 85/1.4 would be able to fill that gap.

Best regards
Erik
 

ErikKaffehr

Well-known member
Hi,

Interesting. It seems that the Leica lens is basically a superior design, but it may be hampered by the about 2 mm thick "cover glass" of the sensor at large apertures.

The Loxias have been redesigned to take that optical package into account. Leica has a thinner optical package (0.8 mm), that works better with lenses having large beam angles.

The M8, had even thinner package (0.5 mm), but got problems with excessive IR as the IR filter was to thin. Life is a compromise.

LensRentals.com - Sensor Stack Thickness: When Does It Matter?

Best regards
Erik

There is a nice comparison between the new 50mm Loxia and the Leica M 50mm F2 cron. here in the Spanish DSLR Magazine
 

philip_pj

New member
Zeiss maybe gambled a little that, instead of making a new design, they could improve on the ZMs enough to get past the quite typical midfield curvature so many near normal M lenses have. The irony is the Planar 50/2 ZM is very good in this respect until the far corners, albeit at lower contrast.

Overall, they did very well, boosted contrast stopped down but (always a but) you do get a fall in midfield (IH 15mm). This is where the DSLR mag charts are misleading, as contrast rises in the corners of the Loxia. Something has to give. Even the ZM 35/1.4 has a little residual midfield curvature but it's already at such a high level no one will notice!

They (Zeiss) admit contrast in the L50/2 will be lower up to f4 compared to the FE55. 50mm lenses are a kind of cross over point - people want great bokeh and strong centers but these days the images get closely peeped, so smooth outer frames and good corners are needed too. People will likely warm to the Loxia images over time, and they really dress up the bodies.

I don't reckon there is much room for Sigma in FE, with CZ and Sony hard at it.

'I miss a high quality 85 mm lens for the FE mount'
Let's start a petition!
 

biglouis

Well-known member
If you ever wanted to own a Leica Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH but couldn't afford it buy the FE 55/1.8.

It is that good.

LouisB
 

Viramati

Member
Is that Lux Asph any good on the A7/7R?
I have it and not really as it suffers from smearing. Performs quite well on the A7s. It used to be one of my most used lenses when I had 2 M9's but since getting the A7 and FE55 it lives most of it's life in the back of the safe, can't bring myself to sell it though.
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Vivek, I no longer have a lux-anything as I sold my Leica gear a long time ago. I do have a cron 35, cron 40 and elmarit 90 all of which perform very well on both the A7 and A7r.

I've not been that impressed with standard lenses since I sold my Leica kit and the FE 55/1.8 is the best standard lens I've owned since. Wide open as a portrait lens it is imho spectacular. Sharp at point of focus and lovely smooth, creamy bokeh.

There is a need for a decent 35 for the ILCE series but I can't see the need for a 50, especially a manual one, while there is the FE 55/1.8.

There is a lot of anecdotal information that suggests pre-ASPH Leica lenses work better on the ILCE series. As I only own pre-ASPH lenses I can't comment.

Just my two cents

LouisB
 

Viramati

Member
Have to say that I'm totally with Louis on this one as I find the FE55 to meet nearly all my needs. What I would like sony to do is what Fuji did with their more recent XF lenses where you can change from auto focus to manual focus on the lens and when in manual mode you have a proper distance and DOF scale
FUJINON XF23mmF1.4 R Fujinon X Mount lenses | Fujifilm Europe
While not so necessary on lenses of 50mm and more I would love to have a DOF scale on the wider lenses for street work
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Vivek, I no longer have a lux-anything as I sold my Leica gear a long time ago. I do have a cron 35, cron 40 and elmarit 90 all of which perform very well on both the A7 and A7r.

I've not been that impressed with standard lenses since I sold my Leica kit and the FE 55/1.8 is the best standard lens I've owned since. Wide open as a portrait lens it is imho spectacular. Sharp at point of focus and lovely smooth, creamy bokeh.

There is a need for a decent 35 for the ILCE series but I can't see the need for a 50, especially a manual one, while there is the FE 55/1.8.

There is a lot of anecdotal information that suggests pre-ASPH Leica lenses work better on the ILCE series. As I only own pre-ASPH lenses I can't comment.

Just my two cents

LouisB
Exactly, Louis. It (Lux asph) is not very useful on a digital camera. I can understand sentimental attachments that David has. But with a shiny brass RF coupling rim it is unfit even for digital M. Luckily, Leica have woken up to modernizing their lenses as seen in the latest APO 50, Summarits (no shiny innnards) and such. The Zeiss ZM lenses OTOH are better built and digital ready from this aspect.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I'm uninterested in AF lenses for the Sony A7.

I prefer using this camera with manual focus lenses, mostly my Leica R and a couple of Nikkors, also a couple of my M-mount lenses. On that basis, the Loxia would be my pick for a native mount 50mm lens if I didn't already have the Summilux-R 50 or Nokton 50mm f/1.5 ASPH. I don't think it offers anything better than those two for my use, other than not needing a mount adapter.

I have to say: in looking through the six or seven thousand photos I've made with the A7, the Summilux-R 50mm has been my most used lens.

G
 

Barry Haines

Active member
Hard to beat the 55mm FE money no object IMHO on the A7R.
I don't like the bokeh on the 50mm APO Summicron, I don't like the weight of the 55mm Zeiss OTUS nor the weight of the 50mm Sigma ART...I have owned in the past the 50mm Summicron R and the pre asph Summicron M, Olympus 50mm and Canon 50mm FD's + these 4 below (Left to Right Zeiss ZM 50mm F2 Planar, 50mm F1.4 Summilux-Asph, 58mm F1.2 Rokkor and 55mm F1.8 FE)...Number one 50-55mm range lens (for me) "IS" the 55mm f1.8 FE...It renders just about perfectly as Louis says above.

 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'm going to test my new Sony Zeiss ZA 50 1.4 this week against my 85 1.4. Will give me a good idea on it since I ran that 55, 85 and 135 test awhile ago. If it's a hair better than the 85 than it should be fairly level to the 55. will see but I'm after more look on this lens.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I'm uninterested in AF lenses for the Sony A7.

I prefer using this camera with manual focus lenses, mostly my Leica R and a couple of Nikkors, also a couple of my M-mount lenses. On that basis, the Loxia would be my pick for a native mount 50mm lens if I didn't already have the Summilux-R 50 or Nokton 50mm f/1.5 ASPH. I don't think it offers anything better than those two for my use, other than not needing a mount adapter.

I have to say: in looking through the six or seven thousand photos I've made with the A7, the Summilux-R 50mm has been my most used lens.

G
I am also uninterested in AF lenses, especially when it is a pain to use them in manual focus mode.

It is AA Summicron 50/2 or just the OM 50/1.8 that I am using. ;)
 
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