Sony 24-70 F4 Lens

[Mark Gowin]

I am downloading some more of your images for closer inspection. Thank you for using the same scenes when testing the various cameras and lenses. Makes for a good reference / perspective since I have or had some of those other cameras and lenses.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

This lens is fine for my needs. I knew that 24mm was not going to be good just like every other zoom on the planet. Why I just bought the Zeiss 25mm F 2 but the 70mm like some I thought would be fine. My prime objective with a mid level zoom is people grip and grin crap, my bread and butter corporate work. I need 28 to 60 and I really have the back end covered with my 55 and 85. Now maybe more a disappoint for many folks is the walk around lens style , landscape I would never use a zoom anyway. The problem to stay small there might not be alternative AF zoom unless though you get the Sony A adapter and look at maybe a Sigma or something for a A mount. My fear is it still would be bigger. I did not have really that high hopes for this lens when I bought the system. The 70-200 I do but mid level always has been a tough design to build.. Let's call it what it is a 28,30-60 zoom at least at 5.6. Fits my bill okay and good enough . My other glass are the quality lenses when it really counts but I'm picky like a lot of us here as well but for PR stuff it works fine.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I might just buy a cheap pancake Voightlander 40 in a Canon mount since I just bought canon mount on my Zeiss 25 and the metabones III adapter. Might be a great walk about lens

 

[Mark K]

A great all around lens...just sold my A7 with kit lens to get this one with 7r

 

[Mark K]

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Just found a used Voightlander 40 Ultron for 364 bucks. I may just pull the trigger on it. To tide me over . I have this 25-55 gap now. Just want something cheap and small. I know the 35fE but I had a bad copy of it and don't want to spend 800 either. I just bought the farm with new Zeiss 25 and Sony 135 1.8 and I feel a baseball bat coming. LOL

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I did it. So now my kit is Leica 19mm R, Zeiss 25 mm F2, Voightlander 40mm Ultron, 55mm FE, ZA 85 1.4 and ZA 135mm 1.8. I'm DONE

I'll add this zoom in a month or so. No hurry

Funny you can buy the 28 and 40 mm Voightlanders for walk around and still be less expensive than the 24-70. Now that folks is something to think about . One in the pocket one on the camera.

 

[Luvwine]

How is this lens at 28 or so? I keep reading about Leica R 28 version 2 and am getting tempted.....that 28 plus the FE 55 could make a nice pair for museums or other general use...

 

[tashley]

Two more shots to show why I'm in 'glass half full' mode with this lens. The first is a 100% crop of a handheld frame with OSS at 70mm F4 1/20th second...

The second looks a bit boring at small size but if you look at the original (try zooming it to 50%) you'll see that this lens has got the Zeiss mojo. Very articulate, subtle rendering but with 3D pop too. I am quite impressed by the bits of this lens that are impressive: 33mm F4 1/160th ISO200

 

[Guy Mancuso]

How is this lens at 28 or so? I keep reading about Leica R 28 version 2 and am getting tempted.....that 28 plus the FE 55 could make a nice pair for museums or other general use...

The lens you want cost about 2400 in the Leica 28mm. You do NOT want the old version. The one with a rectangle hood is the one you want . For me that was what I wanted was my 19 the 28 r glass but too much money on the R 28 right now. Maybe later.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

35mm looks good Tim.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Can you turn the OSS off. Off would be far better on a tripod and even handheld it might be. My old Tamron 24-70 was better with the IS off regardless on or off the tripod.

I have never been a big fan of IS. I remember in my Canon days lenses without it where sharper.

Why you may ask? I feel people believe in false hopes with it and take it too far.

 

[jonoslack]

Can you turn the OSS off. Off would be far better on a tripod and even handheld it might be. My old Tamron 24-70 was better with the IS off regardless on or off the tripod.

I have never been a big fan of IS. I remember in my Canon days lenses without it where sharper.

Why you may ask? I feel people believe in false hopes with it and take it too far.

I think it works much better in body than in lens.

 

[tashley]

I am bottoming the OSS out at the moment, using it ON when handheld and OFF on a tripod (when I remember!) but I will start turning it off more at higher shutter speeds. However, I think it is one of the better OSS systems I've used because results on a tripod when I forget to turn it off seem good, and results with it on, handheld, seems always good.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

It's certainly worth a test. The Tammy was all over the place with it. But it worked best handheld under 1/60th

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I think it works much better in body than in lens.

I tend to agree with you

 

[tashley]

I had the newer tammy 24-70 on my D800e and it had terrible stabilisation, buggy and jerky and as you say, better off without it. The Sony one seems very well sorted. I have it set to C3 for on/off. In fact, for the first time EVER I am about to set my custom user profiles 1 and 2, for handheld and tripod, and that shows the advantage of the OSS being software controlled rather than a switch on the lens, which is what I thought I wanted!

 

[jonoslack]

OK here's some stuff that might be useful. First some images that show that when short correctly, in the safe zone of around 35-65mm and at F5.6 or F8, (and even at 70mm for the logs, as long as you're not shooting planar) the lens can make images on an A7R that are sharp to the corners, have pop and don't levee you feeling short changed. That's all I can really ask for from a mid-range zoom: sure I'd like it to be great at every focal length but I've never had one that is.

HI Tim
I thought you thought the 12-40 Zuiko was (mine certainly seems to be).

 

[tashley]

Sorry Jono, it is for sure - I implicitly meant full frame and should have said so. I'm selling the E-M1 because the IQ just doesn't cut it I'm afraid, though I might keep the lens until such time as the sensors catch up with it. Not sure if you saw my post above but overall, IMHO, the A7R with the 24-70 beats the Oly combo... as one might expect but I wasn't sure it would...

 

[jonoslack]

Sorry Jono, it is for sure - I implicitly meant full frame and should have said so. I'm selling the E-M1 because the IQ just doesn't cut it I'm afraid, though I might keep the lens until such time as the sensors catch up with it. Not sure if you saw my post above but overall, IMHO, the A7R with the 24-70 beats the Oly combo... as one might expect but I wasn't sure it would...

Hi Tim
Your report (I did indeed read it) has me thinking of the same thing, I haven't got there yet though as the Oly has other advantages (believable weather sealing, excellent IBIS and the lovely 75 f1.8 to name a few!).........