Nex 3 test comparison - Nikkor adaptor - Leica adaptors - Kit Lens [imgs]

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

So today arrived both RJ adaptors, the Nikkor and the Leica one.

I did a quick and dirty side-by-side test just out of curiosity. Focals lengths differed, aperture on the Nikkor adaptor is a rough guess. So nothing scientific at all! Just to share my first test shots with you. ISO was on 400, even though the sun was beaming down between the clouds for a moment

The whole scene as seen through the Nikkor:

The 100% side by side (png):

All files were shot in aperture priority and converted using Raw Photo Processor without any color adjust ments. Resize for web, contrast and some USM.

--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

seachicken2000 · Jul 22, 2010

Thanks a lot for the samples.

Wow, there's a surprising difference between the other lenses and the kit.
I own the Nikon lens .. looks like I need to be getting an adapter for it.

--
A rose by any other name is still a chicken.

pmong · Jul 22, 2010

Thanks, very helpful. I am leaning toward getting the Sony. A few questions if you don't mind.

Are the colors a product of how the lenses render colors or differences in lighting as clouds move in and out? Auto WB?

How well do you think the Leica and Nikkor perform on the Nikon and Fuji bodies compared to the NEX?

I am surprised how well the Nikkor did given the Leica reputation. I take it that the Nikkor is the micro 60mm, AF-S. Is it difficult to adjust the aperture on it (and by extension other AF-S lenese)?

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9476880@N02/

KEITH-C · Jul 22, 2010

Thanks Pam, it is interesting to see side by side comparisons of different lenses output. How large do you think prints have to be to make these kinds of differences noticeable ?
--
Keith-C

tedolf · Jul 22, 2010

Wow. The differences are stunning.

I would give the slight edge to the Nikkor over the Leica (sad comming from an M glass shooter) but I wonder if the slightly longer Nikkor focal lenght (requiring more M glass enlargement) gave it a slight advantage. The NEX kit lens is surprisingly poor. I thought from reading these forums that the kit lens was particularly sharp in the center. Not compared to these two lenses. The NEX lens looks bad.

Again this shows me that NEX and u 4/3 are best used with legacy glass.

nboyer · Jul 22, 2010

Thanks Pam for doing this experiment. I have the 2/50 Cron and it's reassuring to see how much better it is against the kit lens, not that I had any doubts ;-). Cheers. -Norm

bloomoose said:
So today arrived both RJ adaptors, the Nikkor and the Leica one.

I did a quick and dirty side-by-side test just out of curiosity. Focals lengths differed, aperture on the Nikkor adaptor is a rough guess. So nothing scientific at all! Just to share my first test shots with you. ISO was on 400, even though the sun was beaming down between the clouds for a moment

bloomoose said:
The whole scene as seen through the Nikkor:

bloomoose said:
The 100% side by side (png):

bloomoose said:
All files were shot in aperture priority and converted using Raw Photo Processor without any color adjust ments. Resize for web, contrast and some USM.

--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

otcat · Jul 22, 2010

Thanks, I am also curiose about what kind of adapter was used with the AF-S lens anmd how. Otherwise, very interesting results and option with these quite large lenses.

NorthwestF · Jul 22, 2010

bloomoose said:
The 100% side by side (png):

Looks like something is wrong with your test or the kit lens that you have.

Maybe it's just the test. Why is there more noise on your test with the kit lens?

RicksAstro · Jul 22, 2010

NorthwestF said:
Looks like something is wrong with your test or the kit lens that you have.

Maybe it's just the test. Why is there more noise on your test with the kit lens?

I agree...being sharper on the left than the right is odd as well. Don't see anything like that on either copy I've seen.

--
Rick Krejci
http://www.ricksastro.com

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

Yes, auto WB was used. The Sony kit lens is extremely yellowish and warm.

pmong said:
Are the colors a product of how the lenses render colors or differences in lighting as clouds move in and out? Auto WB?

--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

Hi,

the differences are pronounced. Probably focus accuracies play a part. After all I was manually focussing the adaptored lenses. Then I haven´t tested the adaptors themselves yet. They could be decentered etc.

tedolf said:
Wow. The differences are stunning.

I would give the slight edge to the Nikkor over the Leica (sad comming from an M glass shooter) but I wonder if the slightly longer Nikkor focal lenght (requiring more M glass enlargement) gave it a slight advantage. The NEX kit lens is surprisingly poor. I thought from reading these forums that the kit lens was particularly sharp in the center. Not compared to these two lenses. The NEX lens looks bad.

Again this shows me that NEX and u 4/3 are best used with legacy glass.

--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

zepzr · Jul 22, 2010

bloomoose said:
Yes, auto WB was used. The Sony kit lens is extremely yellowish and warm.
pmong wrote:

Try replacing the kit with a different version? You bought it locally, didn't you? Return it as faulty.

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

I wonder if something went wrong. Judging from the exifs, the ISO setting was the same and I didn´t apply different curves or RAW conversion parameters.

The AF-S 60 is very smooth, probably the aperture was more open than on the other lenses, maybe I didn´t nail focus. I can see almost the same amount of graininess on the Leica Summicron image compared with the kit lens.

No matter what, I will include the same crops made from the OOC jpgs:

--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

It really is enervating to use lenses that cannot resolve the sensor.

And still there are other variables in the equation to consider. Adaptor QC may vary, manual focus may differ - and after all the AF system of the NEX is very inconsistent as well! I had one shot that was slightly OOF even though I had placed the AF point exactly on the same spot as in the following shot which was in focus .... sigh
--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

I would have to return the whole package. I don´t think that the kit is a lemon, though. I think I do have AF consistency issues! It´s hit and miss. I´ll try to borrow a Nikkor 18-55 kit lens to compare and will focus the NEX kit manually, too.
--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

Keith, are you referring to the kit lens difference or Leica vs. Nikkor? I should think that the kit lens didn´t focus accurately. I will try to get a Nikkor 18-55 VR and test it side by side to the e-mount one and focus both lenses manually.
--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

KEITH-C · Jul 22, 2010

Some time back people were complaining about the AF continually hunting for no apparent reason , could this be the problem causing AF inconsistency ?

PS - I assume that MF can be used for the kit zoom as well ?
--
Keith-C

zepzr · Jul 22, 2010

bloomoose said:
I would have to return the whole package. I don´t think that the kit is a lemon, though. I think I do have AF consistency issues! It´s hit and miss. I´ll try to borrow a Nikkor 18-55 kit lens to compare and will focus the NEX kit manually, too.

At least in the center the kit lens should be at least as good as Nikon's kit, according to DPR MTF chart

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/widget/Fullscreen.ashx?reviews=86,7&fullscreen=true&av=3.667,3.667&fl=18,18&vis=VisualiserSharpnessMTF,VisualiserSharpnessMTF&stack=horizontal&lock=&config=/lensreviews/widget/LensReviewConfiguration.xml%3F4

If not, try a different lens then. You can try one at a store with display model?

bloomoose · Jul 22, 2010

I had good IQ at f8. At 55 mm the lens is wide open @ 5.6. So I compared a lens wide open with a prime stopped down (Leica f2 -> f4).

With kit lenses - and I have shot with them a lot teaching beginners classes - I haven´t seen much variation, really.

What I will do is: wait till decent e-mount primes come out and then sell the kit lenses.
--
Greetings from Germany,
Pam
http://www.model-kartei.de/sedcard/fotograf/184280/

panamamike · Jul 22, 2010

How does the NEX performance match up to the Leica? That would be an interesting comparison.

I wonder how much lens the NEX can really leverage.

Mike

Nex 3 test comparison - Nikkor adaptor - Leica adaptors - Kit Lens [imgs]

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Senior Member

Veteran Member

Forum Enthusiast

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts