Yes, it is expensive, and yes, it is large and heavy (3.5 pounds). But size/weight/cost are throwing you off, you may have wandered into the wrong arena.
A lot of times I conduct quick little tests on products. These are not the painstakingly prepared, detailed tests that we often publish, the only objective is to inform me so I can advise my clients accurately.
Last week, I stepped outside our door to compare 150mm lenses for a client who will mainly use it for landscape.
It's not a great test, or a perfect test, but it told me what I wanted to know to some degree, which is how the new 150/2.8 LS compares to the other leaf shutter options at that focal length.
* Schneider 150mm/2.8 LS Blue Line Lens
* Schneider 150mm/3.5 LS Blue Line Lens
* Schneider 75mm-150mm LS Blue Line Zoom Lens (@150mm)
I did not test the Phase One 150mm/2.8 AF Lens, as it was not a candidate for this client, but while I prefer it to the Schneider 150mm/3.5 Leaf Shutter, the reasons are: price, speed, better control of CA at wide aperture. Otherwise, I find them optically fairly equivalent.
The results to my eye show that the Schneider 150mm/2.8 Lens outperforms the other lenses, in fact, at f/2.8, the Schneider 150mm/2.8 outperforms the other lenses at f/11.
So, like I said, not a perfect, exhaustive test, but based on what I saw, the Schneider 150mm/2.8 may have the potential to be another comparatively elite optic in the same way the Schneider 35mm/3.5 LS that was launched last year is. A new bar may have been set.
raw files are available via the DropBox link below. The jpg shows the entire scene, note the red outline and arrows that will guide you to the most informed elements of the scene for resolution inspection.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5100qg1g0418uov/AADzDLv7FNlCyhrhu-k2gmnPa?dl=0
Steve Hendrix/CI
