jalywol
Forum Pro
I've had an adapted SAL 70-300G SSW (version I) with the LAEA4 on my A7 for about two years now. I've been extremely happy with its IQ. It has a couple of drawbacks for the A7 use that I was interested in addressing; 1) no OSS, and 2) its minimum focus distance is a little longer than I like.
Adapter issues are also a factor; there's the chunkiness of the LAEA4, and its focusing system seems a bit unresponsive (although I suspect my LAEA4 is not functioning as well as it should be, which might be contributing to that problem). Since the A7 does not have the on-sensor update to PDAF which would enable it to use the LAEA3 properly with this lens, I don't have that option to go with, either, unfortunately, (and I'm not going to update the body until I see what the A7III has to offer next year when they announce it.)
So, when Sony announced the FE version of this lens, I thought it would solve all of the problems I have with the A-mount version. The FE version has gotten very good reviews, and people who've bought the lens seem to like it very much. I decided to order one last week.
After using the FE for a few days, I have a couple of thoughts about it. I have not given it as thorough a workout yet as I need to for a definitive conclusion overall, but I do have a few impressions about it so far vs the SAL version.
The good:
1) Color rendition is a bit nicer (IMO) than the SAL. It's a little cooler overall; with the A-mount version being a bit warmer (I prefer the cooler, personally). Greens are better on the FE.
2) AF is night and day better on the FE. Not sure how the AF of the SAL would be on the LAEA3 on newer bodies, but the FE AF is excellent. Fast, on target, easy.
3) Minimum focus distance is just close enough that you can use this for flower shots if you don't want to dig out the macro lens (it's not a macro, but you can get pretty close with it).
3) Sharpness is very good.
4) Very contrasty lens (this may or may not be a plus, see below).
5) Balances well on the body, even though it's not a small lens
6) It's nice having OSS in the lens on a long lens like this, and it does work well.
The bad:
1) Bokeh can be pretty busy in the right circumstances. Definitely prefer the SAL in this regard.
2) Even though its sharpness is admirable, the FE lens gives me the impression of a kind of digital crunchiness in its output. There is no lyrical quality to its shots. The SAL, while also sharp, just has something more pleasing about the output that I seem to prefer.
So, so far, there are thus only a couple of negatives about it. Unfortunately, they are negatives that mean something to me, even if they are apparently a little trivial.
This reminds me a lot of one of the highly recommended and well reviewed M43 lenses that I bought after it came out; the Oly 45mm f1.8. It was a modestly priced, but very sharp and very well reviewed lens, and everyone was raving about it. After I used mine for a while, I found that it left me very cold. The images were tack sharp, it focused fast, and it was a nice addition to the kit, but they all had sort of a clinical, soulless look to them, to me. After working with it off and on for a year, I ended up selling it, and going back to a legacy 50mm Yashica ML f1.7 for when I wanted something in that focal length (a lens that has just beautiful rendering). Unfortunately, I am getting that same feeling from the FE after working with its images for a few days....so I need to go out and try it on a variety of subjects to see how it does before I decide whether to keep it or sell it.
I think if I had a body with IBIS and could use the LAEA3, there would be no question at all that I would keep the SAL version. Unfortunately, I don't, and won't be updating the A7 body for at least a year, so that's kind of a conundrum.....
Oh, one other thing. Since this is entirely subjective, feel free to tell me I must be a total nut (this IS the Internet, after all); especially since I have not posted photos demonstrating what I am seeing.
On the other hand, a few months ago there was a lengthy post about lenses over on M43, and the 45mm f1.8 came up, and amazingly enough, out of the woodwork came a whole bunch of people who had had the same impression/experience that I did with that lens.....and I hadn't even posted my thoughts about it first. So, my experiences tend to be shared by at least a subset of folks, as a rule.....
Remember YMMV........
-J
Adapter issues are also a factor; there's the chunkiness of the LAEA4, and its focusing system seems a bit unresponsive (although I suspect my LAEA4 is not functioning as well as it should be, which might be contributing to that problem). Since the A7 does not have the on-sensor update to PDAF which would enable it to use the LAEA3 properly with this lens, I don't have that option to go with, either, unfortunately, (and I'm not going to update the body until I see what the A7III has to offer next year when they announce it.)
So, when Sony announced the FE version of this lens, I thought it would solve all of the problems I have with the A-mount version. The FE version has gotten very good reviews, and people who've bought the lens seem to like it very much. I decided to order one last week.
After using the FE for a few days, I have a couple of thoughts about it. I have not given it as thorough a workout yet as I need to for a definitive conclusion overall, but I do have a few impressions about it so far vs the SAL version.
The good:
1) Color rendition is a bit nicer (IMO) than the SAL. It's a little cooler overall; with the A-mount version being a bit warmer (I prefer the cooler, personally). Greens are better on the FE.
2) AF is night and day better on the FE. Not sure how the AF of the SAL would be on the LAEA3 on newer bodies, but the FE AF is excellent. Fast, on target, easy.
3) Minimum focus distance is just close enough that you can use this for flower shots if you don't want to dig out the macro lens (it's not a macro, but you can get pretty close with it).
3) Sharpness is very good.
4) Very contrasty lens (this may or may not be a plus, see below).
5) Balances well on the body, even though it's not a small lens
6) It's nice having OSS in the lens on a long lens like this, and it does work well.
The bad:
1) Bokeh can be pretty busy in the right circumstances. Definitely prefer the SAL in this regard.
2) Even though its sharpness is admirable, the FE lens gives me the impression of a kind of digital crunchiness in its output. There is no lyrical quality to its shots. The SAL, while also sharp, just has something more pleasing about the output that I seem to prefer.
So, so far, there are thus only a couple of negatives about it. Unfortunately, they are negatives that mean something to me, even if they are apparently a little trivial.
This reminds me a lot of one of the highly recommended and well reviewed M43 lenses that I bought after it came out; the Oly 45mm f1.8. It was a modestly priced, but very sharp and very well reviewed lens, and everyone was raving about it. After I used mine for a while, I found that it left me very cold. The images were tack sharp, it focused fast, and it was a nice addition to the kit, but they all had sort of a clinical, soulless look to them, to me. After working with it off and on for a year, I ended up selling it, and going back to a legacy 50mm Yashica ML f1.7 for when I wanted something in that focal length (a lens that has just beautiful rendering). Unfortunately, I am getting that same feeling from the FE after working with its images for a few days....so I need to go out and try it on a variety of subjects to see how it does before I decide whether to keep it or sell it.
I think if I had a body with IBIS and could use the LAEA3, there would be no question at all that I would keep the SAL version. Unfortunately, I don't, and won't be updating the A7 body for at least a year, so that's kind of a conundrum.....
Oh, one other thing. Since this is entirely subjective, feel free to tell me I must be a total nut (this IS the Internet, after all); especially since I have not posted photos demonstrating what I am seeing.
On the other hand, a few months ago there was a lengthy post about lenses over on M43, and the 45mm f1.8 came up, and amazingly enough, out of the woodwork came a whole bunch of people who had had the same impression/experience that I did with that lens.....and I hadn't even posted my thoughts about it first. So, my experiences tend to be shared by at least a subset of folks, as a rule.....
Remember YMMV........
-J
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