So what is final consesnus on 24-70 f4?

As I understand it's a descent zoom, with some soft corners right? Who cares about corners? I don't, unless it's not just corners, but borders as well.

So how is it? Is it a good match for A7R?

Based on what it does on my A7S, it's a winner.

paradisephoto said:

Based on what it does on my A7S, it's a winner.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3856568

Click to expand...

I hate to have to tell you but its pretty much impossible to see any difference between the cheap kit lens and the expensive zeiss when used on the A7S. You would be hard pressed to find a lens that performs poorly on a 12mp full-frame sensor.

Silmarion said:

As I understand it's a descent zoom, with some soft corners right? Who cares about corners? I don't, unless it's not just corners, but borders as well.

So how is it? Is it a good match for A7R?

Click to expand...

LOL, well, I seriously doubt there will ever be a "final consensus" on the 24-70 f4 lens.

When I recently bought my A7ii, I tried the 24-70mm f4 along with the FE 55mm F1.8 and the FE 28mm F2.8 lenses.

It was obvious that both the primes were far more consistently sharp across the frame, but I ended up keeping the 24-70mm because it was turned out to be much sharper than I had expected (given some of the reviews), and it's a much better fit for my style of shooting, fast and loose.

Many folks here would say it's a shame to buy the A7r and not utilize that exceptional sensor to it's fullest, but I think it mainly comes down to what YOUR needs are.

I needed a one lens solution, and the 24-70 gives me that in a very nice package.

So, if you're a zoom kind of guy, then go ahead and buy the 24-70mm with confidence. It's a fine lens and fun to use.

Another option might be to rent one first and see if it fulfills your needs, either that, or be sure and buy it from some place with a good return policy.

Get the 28-70 for 500 dollars and then you can get a good prime. I have done test with the 28-70 vs the Zeiss 55mm. The Zeiss is rated one of the sharpest lenses made recently. It's not as different as you might think. There is no doubt the Zeiss is sharper but it's not as drastic of a difference as I think one might think when looking at charts and graphs online. I bet I can post two pictures at 1:1 on someone's eye and you will know which one is the Zeiss but you won't think the 28-70 is bad either.

I'm using it on an A7R. The 16-35mm Zeiss is worth the money on the A7R. I used to shoot 24-70 with Canon all the time but I don't find myself with that desire now for some reason. So I wouldn't bother buying the 24-70 for a thousand dollars. At some point, when all the bodies have IBIS in it they may be able to get it down to 2.8.

There's no final consensus.

There certainly seems to be a fair bit of sample variation, especially the earlier ones.

Klaus at protozone measured a copy that was hardly great.

On the other hand if you delve into DXOs review and compare to other zooms they have tested bearing in mind the resolutions of the sensors they are tested on you get the following

(1) it's better than the Nikon 24-120 and the old Canon 24-70 f2.8

(2) It's likely not worse than the nikon 24-70 at comparable apertures

(3) It's not as good as the new canon 24-70 2.8 and probably the f4 (both of which, though, add to much larger packages with adapter.

My copy is fine at the wide end, and even has OK corners at 24 at wider apertures.

It's noticeably less snappy at the 70mm lens.

I think likely that makes a decent copy a very fine compact zoom lens - way better than the kit lens away from the very centre (where the kit does fine)

Of course it is a compact zoom wide to tele; so it's not as good as the primes.

I think the sample variation is especially significant at the 24mm end; most perform very well indeed 28-60, especially at 35 and 50.

For all that, it's likely the least exciting premium lens released for the A7 series. But it might be pretty much as good as you can hope for the range and size for less than Leica money. (all the competition have noticably larger diameters and hence filter sizes, which helps with the peripheral performance)

Silmarion said:

As I understand it's a descent zoom, with some soft corners right? Who cares about corners? I don't, unless it's not just corners, but borders as well.

So how is it? Is it a good match for A7R?

Click to expand...

If you can get the 24-70/4 for the price of the 28-70 kit lens, do it. Otherwise the kit lens performs just as good optically (but with inferior build and no blue Zeiss logo). Unlike the Zeiss 16-35 and 55/1.8, the 24-70 for some reason is not up to those standards.

All FE primes are highly recommended thus far. Putting a lot of pressure on the zoom lenses. It's true the kit lens is quite sharp. I had one and found it to be at times sharper than the 24-70 BUT I still settled for the 24-70. Why? Bokeh is a lot smoother and color and contrast is really good. Also the 24mm end is more useful for me than 28mm. Look to buy one on the second hand market for $800. It's a great lens.







--
Too legit to quit.

Silmarion said:

As I understand it's a descent zoom, with some soft corners right? Who cares about corners? I don't, unless it's not just corners, but borders as well.

So how is it? Is it a good match for A7R?

Click to expand...

The 24-70 is very sharp in the center and weaker in the corners. The difference is very noticable because the very good center sharpness. The 28-70 is softer over all and the corners of the 24-70 is actually better than the corners of the 28-70. Have used both lenses.

So the 24-70 is my keeper. Those claiming the 28-70 to be as good as the 24-70 lens should stick to that lens and be happy with it.

This test video: , shows very clearly the differences between the lenses. Fine detail, color, contrast, and microcontrast are all much better on the 24-70mm. Even though the video is not in English, the tests and comparison results are very easy to understand.

This test completely matches my experience with both lenses. Center sharpness is not bad on the kit lens, but the 24-70 outclasses everything else about it. I'm very happy with mine (returned my 28-70 and kept the 24-70mm). Just buy it and enjoy it.

-J

I wonder if they will ever make a lens that is as sharp on the corners as it is in the centre at full aperture, zoom or prime.

tabloid said:

I wonder if they will ever make a lens that is as sharp on the corners as it is in the centre at full aperture, zoom or prime.

Click to expand...

The 1.8/55 is almost there but with some light falloff in the extreme corners - but sharpness is very consistent over the entire field of view even at full aperture.

For non Sony lenses the CZ 2/135 lens fit the bill very nicely. Some loss of sharpness at full aperture but the center and corners look very similar.

Zoom lenses: forget it...

ttran88 said:

All FE primes are highly recommended thus far. Putting a lot of pressure on the zoom lenses. It's true the kit lens is quite sharp. I had one and found it to be at times sharper than the 24-70 BUT I still settled for the 24-70. Why? Bokeh is a lot smoother and color and contrast is really good. Also the 24mm end is more useful for me than 28mm. Look to buy one on the second hand market for $800. It's a great lens.



--
Too legit to quit.

Click to expand...

Great shot!

Thanks Derek,

just realized that there's no EXIF. Strange I never took or delete them. But here's a screenshot of an app on my iPhone that reads EXIF (I miss android details in photo album).







--
Too legit to quit.

Hey thanks, I always enjoy checking out the EXIF data, it really helps me learn how other folks are getting the results they're getting.

One of the things I'm enjoying with the A7ii is the amazingly accurate AWB, which seems to nail the colors spot on. It must have inherited that trait from the A7 as shown in your photo.

I think you won't find any final consensus on anything on a forum like this. ;-)

The 28-70 performs as well as the 24-70?

Not in my experience. (admittedly limited with the kit which I borrowed from a friend for a trip once because it's so light.

The kit is mostly as good (or imperceptibly better stopped down at some FLS) right in the centre.

But have a look at the DXO field charts.

Start with the widest settings 24 vs 28 wide open at the wide end. Note that the 24 is wider here (and performs a lot better still at 28)



:

or compare them both at 35



Things even out almost at 70mm where the 24-70 is at its weakest; but it's still ahead in the periphery though the 28-70 appears a bit better in the centre when both are wide open. Of course the kit lens is a stop slower at that point.



So finally lets compare them at the long end at the same aperture: f5.6



If you stop the kit lens down to f8 it's not bad at all. But for using at wider apertures the 24-70 is way better. And it has 24. There's no respect in which the kit is preferably, except weight and price (a tiny measurably higher peak resolution at mid aperture in the dead centre which would be imperceptible doesn't count) and lots of things a decent copy of the 24-70 can do which the kit can't.

That's not to complain much about the kit. It's cheap, light, and pretty good stopped down. And for some kind of photography maybe thats all you need.

[No message]

I guess I will rent it and hope that rental copy will be a good one. So I can check this zoom myself. Judging from Z1670 that many condemned, but it turned out to be a pretty good zoom overall, I still have hope that FE2470 will turn out to be a better zoom than some reviews say or at least a zoom that satisfies my needs.

Another issue (not related specifically to 2470) is QC. One would believe that by now Sony sorted QC issue, but I have a feeling it may not be so just yet. Sigh.

jalywol said:

This test video:

, shows very clearly the differences between the lenses. Fine detail, color, contrast, and microcontrast are all much better on the 24-70mm. Even though the video is not in English, the tests and comparison results are very easy to understand.

This test completely matches my experience with both lenses. Center sharpness is not bad on the kit lens, but the 24-70 outclasses everything else about it. I'm very happy with mine (returned my 28-70 and kept the 24-70mm). Just buy it and enjoy it.

-J

Click to expand...

jalywol can you please repost that link to video - for some reason it's not working. Thanks.