Comparison by DearSusans.
We got another confirmation those Loxia lenses aren’ts just a ZM lens with E-mount. DearSusans (Click here) compared the Zeiss Loxia 50/2 with the Sony FE55/1.8 and Leica Summicron 50/2:
It’s no hard for me to admit I wasn’t expecting it to be this good and considered it to be a half-ass effort by Zeiss to cash in on an old design, much like the 7 re-editions of Star-Wars, for instance. The truth is Zeiss seem to have produced a gem. And I wish them well on the cashing-in.
Zeiss Loxia preorders:
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens for Sony E Mount at BHphoto, Adorama., WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens for Sony E Mount at BHphoto, Adorama, WexUK, CameraPro.
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* Lens at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss Lens Hood for Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon T* Lens at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss 52mm Front Lens Cap for Touit and Loxia Lenses at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss De-Click Key for Loxia Lenses (5-Piece Set) at BHphoto and Adorama.
Zeiss Rear Lens Cap for Loxia E-Mount Lenses at BHphoto and Adorama.
0 Responses
I hope to try this lens out and get a feel for it. I’d like to see how it stacks up the the A mount Zeiss 50mm 1.4.
So would I ! The ZA 50/1.4 is superb. Please send comments if you do compare them.
Half a$$ review of a half a$$ lens from a half a$$ reviewer.
There’s plenty to take from that review. You clearly don’t know how to make sense of the presented information. The reviewer is not obliged to give you that knowledge.
The review is meaningless and subjective, with no real comparison data. There is no 50ZA, no Otus 55 in the review… It’s hard to call it “pseudo-scientific” because it’s not scientific at all, any BestBuy employee or your grandma could have done it. If you think it’s really valuable and worth generating some TCP traffic – well, good for you – enjoy your reading. I’ll wait for DxO numbers and charts.
I’m sure you haven’t even read the review. Enjoy your numbers and charts! Idiot
Congrats on wasting another 30 minutes of your life sitting in your momma’s basement, drooling and reading the BS “review”, f%cktard.
Hey, take it easy.
I wrote that review. It’s fine that you don’t like it. Some people are reassured by numbers, others prefer photo samples. I belong to the second category and so do the other commentators in the thread you started.
To each his own, that’s cool.
Hi Pascal, I enjoy your blog for your opinions on lenses (and I can’t be bothered to check the Exifs if there is no extra info), and the photos that support your views. However I prefer the work seen with your Leicas very much over everything seen with the new Loxia (or Zeiss 55 for that matter) so far. So kinda disappointed to see you let go of the 90mm Elmarit as well ;-). But to each their own lens! See you, Paule
Hi Paule, thank you for the kind & interesting note.
You do strike a chord here … It is true that my pics with the Loxia don’t look at all like my normal photographs and I don’t like that either. I’m only letting the 90Elmarit go because it is the R version and I already own the M version, so I’m only keeping one. But the 50 Summicron, hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t let it go after all. I’ll take the Loxia out for a spin in more normal conditions (not a review) and see what comes of it. See you, Pascal
Hi Pascal, ah, I thought that Elmarit was long gone when the A7r had arrived :). The Summicron, yes, maybe worth keeping.. I made a quick comparison with the Oly OM 50mm f2 and first thing spring to my eye was how much distortion the Summicron has near by (zero for the Oly!)… but I have some shots with smooth creme Bokeh with the Summi, so it must also stay with me.. Then recently I used the 135 Elmarit-R, some like it, but mostly I think it is very much overlooked with all the other Leica treasures out there. And on that shoot, I was kinda disappointed after looking on the small A7 screen, but then at home and with Lightroom I must say, wow, what a drawing.. really a gem as well I think. That said, I am not a Leica buff, just a response to your various Leica impressions (60, 19mm etc.). Also like the Zeiss f2.8 pictures! Cheers.
I think the Elmarit range is fantastic. Not too big, not too expesinve and lovely drawing.
What you say about the OM 50mm f/2 is interesting. My co-author owns one and we tested it together with his 28 and both were smashing lenses.
Distortion … hmmm, forgot to test that on the Loxia! Weird. Will have to find buildings 😉
Hi Pascal! So nice to have an authour here! Do you have bokeh examples at f/2.8 or between 2.8 and 2? There might be a sweet spot there like in some other overcorrected lenses.
Thanks GreenLens. Let me take a few today and put them online. I’ll add a link to to this comment thread for you later today. Cheers.
Okay, some bokeh at f/2.2 to f/2.8, as requested 🙂
http://www.dearsusan.net/zeiss-loxia-50mm-f2-planar-bokeh-series/
Excellent, much appreciated! But the lens shows its character any way. Interesting, actually.
The AWB, with a chip in the lens, should be spot on and not “yuk”.
Unfortunately, AWB is very often “yuk”, even with the FE 35. Maybe it’s just my camera and not a general thing, but the mustrady yellow dominates everything. It’s auto-corrected in LightRoom, when I don’t forget.
So you live and die by DxO numbers and charts when choosing your gear? I wonder how you photograph, oh way… that must be an activity that’s to artsy for you and not scientific enough. And guy, you clearly didn’t even read the review, the author does talk about the lack of availability of Otus in his area.
dxo numbers are wrong. if you blindly believe numbers like that go and take up numerology.
Wait, five people upvoted this comment?
Why has this site become such a bellend magnet?
Andrea, you seriously need some mods around here.
Lotus, It’s probably the same guy with 5 times. If he spends his life sitting down and looking at charts he probably has time to make use mutliple accounts or machines to up his own vote.
Love how pathetic some people are they have to abuse people to feel superior.
I’m not convinced about the bokeh, the rest seems very nice!
Waiting for some new reviews and samples of the Loxia 35 as that’s the lens I’more interested in. Anyone?
I guess we’ll have to wait till middle of November or December to get the Loxia 35 review as it’s only to be released at the very end of 2014 🙁
I like its distinct OOF drawing. It’s not always smooth but I like the structure.
Yeah, I kinda like how it gives structure so you can sorta guess what is the object or person behind and gives this transition feel rather then butter smooth all the way.
It’s that typical Zeiss bokeh. Harsh when wide open, lovely soft when stopped down. You either love it or hate it.
Is it me or does the Sony FE 55 seem to have purple edges? I thought that only happened on certain wide angle lenses
It could happen on lenses of any focal length.
I never doubted Zeiss would bring the bacon, now I have to bring the dough…
Not too shabby. OOF-rendering looks very old-school.
FE 35/1.4 samples would be highly appreciated.
You would have to wait next year for FE 35/1.4 samples 🙂
It’s a very good review and has the sort of detail I always look for. Well done.
Nicely done. Awful weather most of the time and the task made more difficult.
I hope we get IBIS in the next generation of A7 cameras. These Loxia lenses, with their electronic communication, would be perfect for telling the camera body what focal length to stabilize to. Along with their smooth, mechanical operation, these lenses with IBIS would be the ultimate run-and-gun video solution.
A7 can’t even set Auto ISO if you’re using FE or E mount lenses. It does however, with A mount lenses via LA-EA adapters.
Even if we get a FE camera with IBIS, it’ll take four or five more generations* so that we get the focal length readout for stabilization.
*Not camera generation, people generation. Your grandchildren will have this feature.
“A7 can’t even set Auto ISO if you’re using FE or E mount lenses.”
Eh?
I use manual lenses on my A7 but I’ve just tried my FE 28-70mm and auto ISO works perfectly.
See my reply above, my mistake.
Your grandchildren can rest easy.
“A7 can’t even set Auto ISO if you’re using FE or E mount lenses.” Huh? Or did you mean it can’t set Auto ISO _correctly_? Can’t say I recognise this problem from my A7R and A7S.
My mistake, I should’ve said:
If you use Auto ISO with Aperture Priority mode, the shutter speed is stuck at 1/60 with E and FE mount lenses and adapter lenses. However, the shutter speed follows the focal length if you’re using A mount lenses with LA-EA adapters. If you shoot with a Minolta Beercan from 1985 at 200mm, A7 will set the minimum shutter speed at 1/200 before raising the ISO, thus giving it better compatibility than a FE 70-200, released in 2014. It won’t select 1/20 with a 20mm lens though, it’ll still hit the 1/60 first, raise the ISO and select 1/20 if the Max ISO isn’t enough.
The best solution? Give us the chance to follow 1/focal length rule with compensation in each way, for every lens. I’ll have a hard time holding my Telezoom so, 1/focal length minus one stop would be the best way to get sharp pictures. I can hold my 50/1.4 at 1/30 though, so recognize the lens and act accordingly. Also, my 16-35 has OSS so please give me 1/focal length plus two stops.
This is only a software problem which Sony doesn’t even acknowledge.
Ok, you were referring to that old 1/60s bug. Yeah, kinda weirdo omission by Sony no doubt. Thankfully, I am using legacy glass most of the time, and my favourite focal length is 50mm so I am thankfully not that much affected.
Yeah, I used to use the FDn 50/1.4 all the time, 1/60 was totally fine with that lens but it gets annoying when using something wider or narrower. If I still had my 85/1.8, half the shots would come out blurred because there’s no way to tell the camera to raise the ISO as soon as it hits 1/100.
You are forgetting that a leaked document said IBIS will be coming to future E mount cameras. I expect it will debut on the former NEX line first, then trickle down to the A7s eventually.
IBIS does not work in video mode (or for very long exposures).
Just an observation…I think his sharpening is a bit OTT. There are some sharpening artifacts showing off, especially in the smooth areas of the image.
Not in bokeh series (see separate link).
Not on those, true…but the comparison samples I can’t help to think that the sharpening isn’t doing any favours. The 55mm sample looks a bit shaken…but maybe it isn’t… I don’t know. I don’t know own the lens and I am not trying to undermine the reviewer in any way but from what I have seen and read so far, the 55mm FE should have been the better lens overall.
This particular shot showing great edge sharpness wide open.
http://files.fotopolis.pl/download/s_e_zeiss_55_samp_04.JPG
And this comparison to the Otus:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3609760?page=2
I’m digging this pic. Dang sharp is what that is.
The Loxia is very nice.
I prefer the 55/1.8 bokeh the majority of the time, but sometimes I like the Loxia better. I like that it has auto-focus, and auto-aperture, and the third of a stop, and the lower price.
I prefer the Loxia focus ring, but I mostly use AF. The Loxia sometimes has a problem with very pronounced edges on bokeh balls. It’s a pity that you can’t focus at f/2 and shoot at f/4 (or whatever) without twisting the aperture ring.
Am I missing something here? The comparison photos clearly illustrate the 55FE to be the superior lens for this system. Given that the FE manually focus extremely well, why on earth would anyone choose the Loxia over the best autofocus lens on the planet for 50-ish-mm? Fast 35mm is the weak link in the A series system and should have been addressed first if not singularly by ANY company joining the fray.
“why on earth would anyone choose the Loxia”
1. because they like the look of the pictures (colour, microcontrast, different focus transition and bokeh)
2. because if you only want non-rushed MF it is a nicer focus ring
3. 50mm, not 55mm, there is a difference
3. some people will buy for the Zeiss name
Also,
5. The Loxia is more videographer friendly than the 55
VERY. Absolutely drives me crazy I can’t use any of the FE lenses ‘consistently’ for video use! Who ever dreamed up the variable speed manual focusing should be shot!!
Have to admit the 55/1.8 is 1 of the big attractions of going FE. I’m hoping the macro will come up to scratch, but to be fair it’s hard to make a bad macro…
Guess we’ll have to pick up on this rumor since there’s nothing today to talk about. Anyway, yeah….alpha lives on…something something….why did they ditch OVF….something something….I want my 46MP DSLR monster….etc.
In the meanwhile I suggest you exchange your food stamps for a camera.
I did and they handed me a canon. I then traded the canon for a pack of smokes. I smoked half the pack and traded the other half with a homeless guy for his old Minolta camera. It took better pictures than the canon so I started selling the pics. I then had enough money to buy a real camera and bought a Sony A900 with a 135mm 1.8. Now I take pictures of homeless people on food stamps. This makes me a real photographer- I put myself in situations where those around me make me feel better about myself. I’m pretty sure that’s what they call pro street photography these days.
Ha Ha Ha! Good one. What really got me is the part about pictures of homeless people on food stamps. Have you seen this guy’s black and white super contrasty pictures of homeless people who he made to actually pose for him? Nothing provoking about his effort. Just disturbing and distasteful. Anyway Good day!
No, but that does sound disturbing. I don’t get street photography to be honest. I mean, I’m all about it- but like I meet so many who want to just photograph the poor or people completely cracked out. It’s like, look at me I have pictures of cracked out people half dead. Nice, because you know no one who is looking at those pics is going to be moved to do anything about it. I think it’s attention grabbing and nothing more. Which, given the state of those people’s lives I find to be extremely poor taste. Peace….