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Chez Wimpy
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Rebun, Japan
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rfsIII: It's a quality revolution. First there were the Sigma 35 and 50 1.4s, and now this.
Do any of you experts know what has changed in either the lens industry that is allowing these second-tier companies to suddenly come out with lenses that equal or beat the big two?
I know that there is a lot of cross pollination and that the second-tier firms make components and sometimes whole lenses for Canon, Nikon, and the rest, but there seems to be a shift in what has always been a very "cooperative" industry. In years past I don't think that Canikon would have allowed their subcontractors to make lenses that directly competed with their bread and butter products.
Has something changed in the industry culture? Are we seeing a new breed of corporate executive who rejects the collusive practices of times past? Are new design algorithms or computer programs making this possible?
Or have Sigma and Tamron just kicked their optical engineers into high gear?
"In years past I don't think that Canikon would have allowed their subcontractors to make lenses that directly competed with their bread and butter products. "
Since Sigma and Tamron are independent entities... Canikon only has their own expertise to fall back on. Nobody is holding the third parties back, and they (quite understandably) have a more directed R&D approach when camera design, printers, ect doesn't matter (even for Sigma it could be argued ;). Consider also the ever decreasing cost of computational/modeling/material science.
DickyUK: I expext they will do a Micro four thirds version also
when they get "Around touit" ;)
A 12/2.8 for $1300 when there is already a great 12/2 for around half? A 32/1.8... an odd focal length on m43... when there is a 25/1.4 going for about a third? Touit, no reason to bother (which is why they didn't)
mpgxsvcd: Very nice new features. I wish I could get an update like that for my GH3.
and since there are no f8 lenses for m43, nor the tele-converters to get there, nor fixed "limits" on CDAF operation at smaller apertures...
forpetessake: Both lenses are great at their peak at 5.6-8.0, but at f/2 Canon is pretty lousy, while Zeiss is still pretty good. For most practical purposes Canon is a f/2.8 lens.
"at f/2 Canon is pretty lousy"
There is a first time for everything
Gionni Dorelli: I have used both lenses for years, taking beauty and fashion photos.
The Sony Zeiss has an edge on the Canon on about any aspect of photography.
The Zeiss is also faster at focusing in low light.
In studio, under modeling lights, sometime the Canon never stop hunting where the Zeiss just works fine.
The Zeiss is faster at focusing...?
DarkShift: Oh, it equals about 21mm f4.5 lens on full frame. Not too fast for a 900$ lens.
Vignetting is also very extreme, whopping 1.34 EV @ f8.
"A deep field of focus is desirable for most applications this lens will be put to."
I think that is confusing cause and effect. For a "rangefinder" DOF control on a UWA would be nice, ala the Leica 21/1.4 similar to FF DSLRs with the Canon/Nikon 24/1.4s. In this regard, the Olympus 12/2 on m43 is no better than the Fuji unfortunately. For now it seems this specific type of photography is either very bulky, or extremely expensive.
balios: Can you rotate the direction of tilt and shift independently of each other, like the Canon 24mm?
"Chances are manufacturers have done some research into how their products are used, and found this to be a common application for wideangle T+S lenses."
Since it is the default orientation for all Canon TSE lenses UWA to telephoto... I suspect it has less to do with utility than product lineup aesthetics. It helps for stitching large MP landscapes, but it needs to be changed for product photography and general one-shot landscapes (with rise and fall). Thankfully the 24TSEII has a simple switch.
marike6: When shooting "minutes from your home" means dramatic cliffs in Loop Head, Ireland, then yes, I suppose you don't need to travel to far and exotic lands for find interesting subjects. If you live near the Long Island Sound in NY, or some New England town, say New London, CT, I'd say the work of making compelling landscapes "in your own backyard" gets dramatically more difficult.
Where the author lives looks like paradise for a landscape photographer, you could literally shoot the same scene in different seasons, with different light, treatments, and focal lengths, and you'd never run out compelling things to shoot.
Beautiful images, and interesting article. Bravo, and thanks very much.
I moved to a national park precisely to get this kind of "backyard" and after three years I am starting to think I have gotten the hang of landscape photography (my previous photography life was indoor "street"). If I didn't live right here, it would be nigh on impossible to get masterpiece conditions by chance. When the light is right, I don't have to resort to ND filters, or anything more than basic PS (and a PL filter on sunny days)... but waiting for that light, the season, the right amount of blooming flowers/fallen snow... it literally takes years - and a lot of luck. Where I live, nobody else has bothered to do this seriously, and that "untold story" is a large part of my compulsion (as it was in my last photographic pursuit).
Maverick_: micro four thirds is ultimately a short term product. as the price of the full frame drops to encapsulate all DSLRs in the next 6 years, there would be no room for mid level sensors. at that time, our phones will shoot as good as today's best point and shoot. at that time why would you want to carry a phone and a small digicam.
However, since Pana is a chip maker, they'll have no problem adjusting to this and they'll most probably create a range of mid-priced FF cameras anyway.
Well that's odd. I could have sworn I got into m43 because it was smaller than my FF setup. So when FF becomes cheaper... I'll go back to another large system?
cd cooker: Canon, show some love to those poor photographers please. Lately, all we see are overpriced Canon lenses. I am not talking about these purpose built lenses, dpreview doesn't need to cover these lenses in the first place. I am talking about a $850 35mm IS F2, a $650 28mm IS F2.8 or 24mm IS F2.8. Is $600+ is the new standard of affordable? And $1K+ is the starting point for decent glass?
But the question is... *is* Canon actually selling them? Dpreview is a self-selected subset of enthusiasts where the paucity of 24/28 IS photo samples (or interest) is telling. Unless these are being snapped up as kit-lens supplements by the masses...
Richard Cooper: Thank you for the information about TS lens for panoramics.
I use a Minolta AF 35-105 lens on my Sony A850 for panoramas.
I usually shoot full manual at f22 and get my sharpness as follows. I focus on the distant objects (infinity) and slowly back focus toward my camera until infinity is just out of focus. Than I slowly move the focus toward infinity until it is sharp. My image sharpness begins about 3 feet from my camera until infinity. Gives almost a 3D appearence.
I do my stitching in PTGui with an added plug in that removes any blur in the over lap area by rerouting the seams. The blur is usually caused by moving objects such as people, birds, clouds, etc. PTGui also will remove lens distortions and corner vignetting.
I have been creating panorams for about 12 years and through trial an error found this method produces a sharp detailed panorama from front to infinity with no lens distortions or blur in the over lap areas.
Richard
at f22, I am surprised your "image sharpness begins" anywhere! I have used f20+ apertures on a handful of occasions, but only when full tilt on a lens still isn't enough to get key features in DOF. The resulting prints have very little fine detail, a real waste with a 20MP+ camera.
shahid11235: I don't understand Canon's logic. There's no major improvement of sensor performance for last several years. Lenses are overpriced. 6D is another disappointment. What are they thinking themselves? Successor of Leica?
"28mm 2.8IS, 24 2.8 IS? All the same.."
Tell those buyers to post here... the Canon lens forum has become a graveyard these past few years.
John 3: Personally I think the best invention of 2012 AND of all time is the dishwasher. It has alleviated so much human suffering.
And yet all of Japan still does without. On the other hand, the *washing machine* might meet your hyperbolic standards.
Joe Josephs: According to the review ... "With this latest edition, Evening eschews including a DVD as he has in the past, instead putting material online, including printable .pdfs and instructional videos. Full access to the site requires a login and password included with purchase".
Does this mean that someone borrowing the book from their local library will not have access to the above material?
"Borrowing" books is so 20th century. I prefer the 21st century neutral terms like "visual based intellectual piracy."
Noirist: What's ridiculous about the pricing? Fast high quality zoom lenses are expensive to make. The full frame Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 is $2400 and the 43rds Olympus 35mm-100mm f2.0 is $2500. If you don't want to buy it at that price, then don't. But let the rest of us be glad that Panasonic has made two excellent fast zoom lenses available to anyone who wants one for their micro43rds camera.
I don't know, $1500 is about how much I paid for my 70-200/2.8IS new. The mk2 is more expensive, and the exchange rate in the interim has... changed... but the damage to the wallet is still "equivalent" even if the optics aren't.
EmmanuelStarchild: Time to upgrade.
Sincerely,
A Canon 550D user.
A mint 5DII is no Nikon (err, Sony) D600. No sir.
T3: Finally we can put these silly "$1500 FF" claims to rest. FF sensors are still much more expensive to produce than APS-C sensors.
Give it a few months. Right now the preorder price of the D600 is ¥196,200 while the D800 goes for ¥240,900. That won't be the case for long. The D600 will settle in at ¥150,000 before X-mas, and that will be the "$1500 FF" the masses have been waiting for... other than those with a national currency in the tank.
"the full frame sensor offering the low-light performance and shallow depth-of-field that only really come from having a huge sensor"
Or the "equivalent" X-E1 + upcoming 23mm f1.4... for a bit less scratch, especially if you want a viewfinder.
qwertyasdf: Actually the sensor size of the 645D is not 645 right?
6x6 at 10mp... postcard shooters unite?
Baxter Bad: Only m4/3 and NEX are open spec, right? If so, isn't it likely those are the only systems Zeiss will support?
That is because at the time Sigma launched the lenses, m43 and NEX were the ONLY mirrorless systems. Samsung doesn't exist (in Japan) nor would the Pentax Q crop factor make any sense.