Okay continuing on with my Big Bronco wall test which we all agree is boring as heck but a vital test to check corners and center sharpness on lenses which I do this test on every lens I buy which means in another words< Im constantly doing this test. But thats a another story all together. Here i am just going to work on the Sony 24-70 GM 2.8 alone and than if we want to compare to some other lenses we can do that. But let me be honest right out of the gate. This lens is kicking butt and taking numbers. Im a little bit shocked as the results are very strong for a zoom across all the focal lengths. Sure maybe a few weak areas in focal length but it is not by much and 24mm might be the strongest and will smoke a lot of primes. I know will it beat a Batis 25. LOL Its pretty scary how good 24mm is and it flows uphill with 29mm, 35 and 50. Lets look at the images and see what you all think.
First lets show the distortion at 24mm which is pretty strong but checking 29mm images there is very very little so I would suggest at 24mm you have your lens profiles on.
Okay that is the scene and here are the upper left crops . On the 24mm i did put in the right crop as there has been some discussion about upper right softness. Comparing the left and right at 2.8 it looks dead even on this copy at least. Yahoo I have a good copy and let me remind everyone this is pixel peeping to the max. these are 100 percent crops 1200x1200
I could not be more impressed with the 24mm setting its even good wide open in the corners
STOP STOP STOP
I should not say this but Im going to anyway. My opinion take it for what it is worth. I have NOT seen any 24mm lens in this system of lenses pick any one you want but nothing I have seen is this good in the corners at 24mm. I love the Batis 25mm but the corners from memory are not this good starting at 2.8. If that answer the Batis 25mm question so be it and Im not a zoom guy and I love the Batis 25 so this runs polar opposite of my preferences but we also need to consider the center crops which I will post after this. Moving on
29mm getting really good at 5.6
35mm is pretty darn strong here . 5.6 looks really good and this is my most frustrating focal length in the primes. Now a lens that will beat this at 2.8 in the corners is the Tamron 35mm SP 1.8 that lens is very flat field and very sharp but with that its also a clinical lens. But also a very nice landscape lens to have when you need like 2.8 to shoot in the wind for speed. Sony FE 35 1.4, VC 35mm 1.7, Sigma 35mm F 1.4 its more like starting to get decent at 5.6 and F8 as the optimum. They have more filed curvature. The Sony 35mm 2.8 I just had a bad copy so my comments would not be valid on it
This one is tough I love love the Loxia 50mm F2 and the question does this zoom equal or beat it. It actually may beat it here but I think if you need a prime when you don't want to take this along the Loxia 50mm is the number one pick in my mind to have and if your like me and have this huge gap between 21 and 85 primes than either a great 35mm or the Loxia 50mm makes the most sense . Lots of options here on which way you want to look as well do you want the same rendering as the zoom which everyone that has the zoom today is saying the same thing it just renders amazingly well. Tough call here
At 70mm I had a little tough time focusing as I was pushed back all the way to my car and i was having this magnify issue going off without me touching the lens so be careful here as my center crops will show 2.8 there is a big difference when I hit F4 which I feel I was slightly off given my casual shots even handheld 70mm at 2.8 on center where really sharp. So be careful on this one but it is very minor.
Now you will notice some CA going on here at the 70mm mark. Looks to go away completely at F8 and given maybe my focus error this could be better at F5.6 so be careful again on this one. For me past 50 Im grabbing the 85 1.4 no question. But thats me.
Coming up center tests