55 1.8

[nikonf]

Joe,

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Now all I have to do is find a wide angle that works with this little guy.

Merry Christmas,
Mike

Mike,

I like it. See my earlier post (#140) in this thread. My copy seems to be sharp edge-to-edge and focuses reasonably fast. Good luck with yours, and Merry Christmas!

Joe

 

[tashley]

One question :
Have somebody using this lens see that, during AF, the aperture don't change to full (and going back to the selected aperture when The shutter is released) ?
Or is it only mine or only my mistake...

Some Sony cameras have intricate behaviour on this: what the A7R and I assume A7 are trying to do is make sure that they focus at shooting aperture. The benefit of this is that there is no problem if the les has focus shift as it stops down. The problem with it is that there is more ambiguity because of depth of field when trying to focus a stopped down lens. The RX-1 focusses at shooting aperture for all apertures from F8 and larger, but from F11 to smaller it opens to F8 briefly in order to focus. I haven't checked the A7R with either of my native lenses but I assume it does something similar.

 

[Daure]

You are right.
The A7r coupled with the 55 works as you said.
Good point : take the (enventualy) focus shift in account.
Bad point : focus hinting with bad light and a lens stopped down.
Not bad/not good : dof = focus on/with the sensor should be accurate enough to be at the right place !!

 

[jlindstrom]

I think somebody said earlier that this behavior happens, if you have the evf/screen show estimation of the actual picture. I think it was called "show effect" or similar in settings. Then it focuses stopped down etc. If you turn that thing off, it'll focus wide open.

//Juha


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Daure]

Many thanks.
Good tip !
Too late (midnight here) to test.
Will check tomorrow morning.

 

[wuffstuff]

55 1.8 - Arrived this morning

I've had the 55/1.8 FE for an hour now. It is really sharp and the bokeh is first class. So far no real complaints other than it has a focusing mind of it's own.

The photos below have no merit other than to demonstrate the detail and OOF.

[/url]
DSC00273 by leephotographic, on Flickr[/IMG]


DSC00246 by leephotographic, on Flickr


DSC00250 by leephotographic, on Flickr


DSC00259 by leephotographic, on Flickr

 

[Vivek]

My 55mm arrived! A pre war, uncoated 5.5cm f/4.5 Carl Zeiss Planar!

About the same price as Sony's lens case for the 55/1.8 FE.

 

[scho]

A few from the 55 1.8 and A7R taken on a short test drive today. All shot handheld in S mode and processed through LR5 using the lens profile for the 55.

 

[fotografz]

In isolation, yes, if you're not extremely careful. But when the wall shots are repeatable and back up other behaviours, they are very useful.

I just ordered this lens since I'd now would like to have two native AF lenses for my A7R ... the FE55/1.8 for speed, and the FE24-70/4 for versatility.

Since you brought up "de-centering" as a possible issue, I'll be testing this 55 for it.

Tim, what I still can't grasp is how one assures the camera's sensor is perfectly parallel side-to-side and top-to-bottom compared to the flat subject?

How far away from the subject is prudent for an accurate measure? The further away one gets the deeper the DOF becomes at any aperture ... even f/1.8

What other subject can be used since a perfectly flat brick wall is pretty rare?

Wouldn't a true double blind test be where you shot the same subject on a locked down camera and swapped to another lens or even two that you deem well centered?

I know from doing a lot of flat-on product shots in studio, that getting a perfectly parallel plane of focus on the subject is extremely difficult ... the smallest variation is visible with the aperture wide open. I shoot a lot of car wheels for catalogs where getting the wheel perfectly round is quite a trick ... actually, damned near impossible.

Thanks,

- Marc

 

[tashley]

Marc,
I answered this to some extent in posts #59 thru 60 in this thread. But that's a short answer. Truth is, I'd never shoot a brick wall first, or rely on it alone.. To see if you have an amount of de-centering that matters is usually pretty easy because it is visible in normal shots, sometimes immediately so. But if I see it either mildly or ambiguously, I shoot well known scenes at near, mid, far mid and infinity distances and compare them to a database in my head of how other lenses do in that scene on that sensor size at that aperture. For example I have a hillside scene which a map will show you has a horizon that looks about flat but which actually has some varying depths in it; but the RX-1 tells me that at f2 on a full frame sensor, the far ridge line can all be rendered in good focus by a 35mm lens.

And yes, I do often lock the body down and then try another lens or two. However, it is only valid with copies of the same lens and even then, the field effects can mean that the exact point of focus can make even the same lens look ok in one frame and not in another.

These things are made more complicated by the fact that field curvature can come and go as a factor at differing distances and apertures and by issues of how the planes of a scene intersect that curved field. This and the effects of focus shift can make the detective work tricky.

I also often use parallax to help me get as close to 'true' to a subject as possible. That's a bigger subject.

But in general it is simple: if, when closed down a stop, a lens consistently renders scenes softer on one side than the other, it's a suspect. I then interrogate it until it cracks.

My current 55 f1.8 is pretty good, I class it a keeper for sure. My current 35 f2 is marginal and might get swapped out. I have a zeiss 21mm f2.8 for my d800e that I should have swapped out and didn't and I regret it. It's hard work, but if you end up with a stable of lenses you trust (and which you don't feel guilty about when you eBay) then it is worthwhile!

De-centering is like pornography: I know it when I see it!

 

[fotografz]

Marc,
I answered this to some extent in posts #59 thru 60 in this thread. But that's a short answer. Truth is, I'd never shoot a brick wall first, or rely on it alone.. To see if you have an amount of de-centering that matters is usually pretty easy because it is visible in normal shots, sometimes immediately so. But if I see it either mildly or ambiguously, I shoot well known scenes at near, mid, far mid and infinity distances and compare them to a database in my head of how other lenses do in that scene on that sensor size at that aperture. For example I have a hillside scene which a map will show you has a horizon that looks about flat but which actually has some varying depths in it; but the RX-1 tells me that at f2 on a full frame sensor, the far ridge line can all be rendered in good focus by a 35mm lens.

And yes, I do often lock the body down and then try another lens or two. However, it is only valid with copies of the same lens and even then, the field effects can mean that the expect point of focus can make even the same lens look ok in one frame and not in another.

These things are made more complicated by the fact that field curvature can come and go as a factor at differing distances and apertures and by issues of how the planes of a scene intersect that curved field. This and the effects of focus shift can make the detective work tricky.

I also often use parallax to help me get as close to 'true' to a subject as possible. That's a bigger subject.

But in general it is simple: if, when closed down a stop, a lens consistently renders scenes softer on one side than the other, it's a suspect. I then interrogate it until it cracks.

My current 55 f1.8 is pretty good, I class it a keeper for sure. My current 35 f2 is marginal and might get swapped out. I have a zeiss 21mm f2.8 for my d800e that I should have swapped out and didn't and I regret it. It's hard work, but if you end up with a stable of lenses you trust (and which you don't feel guilty about when you eBay) then it is worthwhile!

De-centering is like pornography: I know it when I see it!

Thanks Tim.

Experience IS a good measure.

- Marc

 

[fotografz]

A few from the 55 1.8 and A7R taken on a short test drive today. All shot handheld in S mode and processed through LR5 using the lens profile for the 55.

Okay so I go through the process of getting the Lens app on the Sony site, and when told to connect the camera with a USB cord ... there is none in the box. I go through the pile of USB cords I have and none fit the camera's female port (which I assume is the same one used for charging). I dig out the USB cord from my A99 and doesn't fit either. :wtf:

How the heck are you guys loading the lens corrections?

(if you offer steps, please write them so a pre-school child could understand them )

- Marc

 

[wuffstuff]

Okay so I go through the process of getting the Lens app on the Sony site, and when told to connect the camera with a USB cord ... there is none in the box. I go through the pile of USB cords I have and none fit the camera's female port (which I assume is the same one used for charging). I dig out the USB cord from my A99 and doesn't fit either. :wtf:

How the heck are you guys loading the lens corrections?

(if you offer steps, please write them so a pre-school child could understand them )

- Marc

How are you charging without the USB connection cable? It's the same cable that is used to connect to your computer for the app download and transfer. Make sure the camera is set to MTP.

 

[Daure]

I just ordered this lens since I'd now would like to have two native AF lenses for my A7R ... the FE55/1.8 for speed, and the FE24-70/4 for versatility.

Since you brought up "de-centering" as a possible issue, I'll be testing this 55 for it.

Tim, what I still can't grasp is how one assures the camera's sensor is perfectly parallel side-to-side and top-to-bottom compared to the flat subject?

How far away from the subject is prudent for an accurate measure? The further away one gets the deeper the DOF becomes at any aperture ... even f/1.8

What other subject can be used since a perfectly flat brick wall is pretty rare?

Wouldn't a true double blind test be where you shot the same subject on a locked down camera and swapped to another lens or even two that you deem well centered?

I know from doing a lot of flat-on product shots in studio, that getting a perfectly parallel plane of focus on the subject is extremely difficult ... the smallest variation is visible with the aperture wide open. I shoot a lot of car wheels for catalogs where getting the wheel perfectly round is quite a trick ... actually, damned near impossible.

Thanks,

- Marc

Try to put the camera on a tripod.
Take two pictures,one with the viewer up (as it should be...), the second one with the viewer down ( the bottom plate so up).
If the softness/unsharp stay at the same side, could be the lens.
If the softness/unsharp change of side, could be a parallelisme problem between camera and subject

 

[Deleted member 7792]

Okay so I go through the process of getting the Lens app on the Sony site, and when told to connect the camera with a USB cord ... there is none in the box. I go through the pile of USB cords I have and none fit the camera's female port (which I assume is the same one used for charging). I dig out the USB cord from my A99 and doesn't fit either. :wtf:

You will NEED that cable for the process. Without it, you're screwed. If your camera was purchased new, the cable should be in the box somewhere, possibly under one of the cardboard flaps.

Joe

 

[anGy]

55mm f1,8 is a gooooood lens, love it.
@ f4,0 (no de-centering seen in 1st test)

 

[ecsh]

Where on the Sony site are you finding the lens correction app?
I looked in the support section, and the only item there was for remote control of the camera when connected to the computer.

 

[Knorp]

Where on the Sony site are you finding the lens correction app?
I looked in the support section, and the only item there was for remote control of the camera when connected to the computer.

Try this: https://www.playmemoriescameraapps.com/portal/

Kind regards.

 

[scho]

Okay so I go through the process of getting the Lens app on the Sony site, and when told to connect the camera with a USB cord ... there is none in the box. I go through the pile of USB cords I have and none fit the camera's female port (which I assume is the same one used for charging). I dig out the USB cord from my A99 and doesn't fit either. :wtf:

How the heck are you guys loading the lens corrections?

(if you offer steps, please write them so a pre-school child could understand them )

- Marc

I used the provided lens correction profile in LR5 in the Develop tab:

 

[fotografz]

You will NEED that cable for the process. Without it, you're screwed. If your camera was purchased new, the cable should be in the box somewhere, possibly under one of the cardboard flaps.

Joe

Thanks guys ... I didn't realize that the charger cable was removable from the plug ... DUH!

Crikey, is that little USB cord proprietary? Kinda makes it a precarious item ... misplace that and you're screwed.

- Marc