In your sharpness review you shoot with the A7RIV, which is very unforgiving. Yet in your gallery you show mostly pictures taken with the A9. Plus you leave those pictures basically untouched (also no sharpening), while the Nikon and Canon pictures are edited and all of them sharpened. Seems like you are trying to actively mislead your readers here.
Another fun point is leaving out tracking and continuous focus ability from your "review". Yeah that's totally not relevant for a 70-200. Oh the GM would look great here? Oh Sony would have a perfect body for this in the A9II while Nikon and Panasonic have nothing? Yeah that's so unfair, better leave it out! (instead lets rate the video capabilities, which come into play for maybe 5% of all 70-200 buyers).
All that said, the 70-200 GM is one of the weaker GMs, and I ditched it for the 135 GM and the 100-400 GM a while ago. But I still think your methods here a in part odd, and in case of the sample gallery downright misleading.
I'm very happy about lens comparisons between mounts - this is crucial for people who haven't yet bought into one system, and as such it's only logical that reviewers barely ever bother.
Dry sarcasm aside, I hope we continue to see these with different kinds of lenses - the 24-70s, of course, but also the 24, 35, 50 and 85mm prime options of each system, for instance.
I wonder whether the Sony is actually that much softer in the corners, or if it just has more field curvature. It would have been nice to see a landscape shot where everything was at infinity, that would have helped to show the difference. I also feel like with these sharpness tests, copy variation probably plays a significant role. It's hard to draw too many conclusions from a test that only uses one copy of each lens, and is shot from a moderate distance at a 2D target.
The canon looks to be a truly portable zoom game changer for FF and Apsc. Would be about 300mm equivalent on a crop sensor. Or could crop on big FF megapixel cam. It’s only about half a pound heavier than a Olympus 40-150 2.8, but with likely better low light ability.
Yeah, but RubberDials point is Sony currently hold the market share for mirrorless FF cameras and have done for the last few years. If DSLRs decline continues and legacy lenses can be mounted on any camera, then there are viable alternatives to remaining with canon who continue to cripple their products. E.g. the 70-200mm f/2.8 rf being reviewed here.
My reply to you was very polite because what you said was utterly ridiculous.
We have figures for the mirrorless market and Sony's dominance of it is emphatic.
Mirrorless camera shipments in 2019 Sony: 1.65 million Canon: 940,000 Fujifilm: 500,000 Olympus: 330,000 Nikon: 280,000 Others: 240,000
It isn't in any way rational to claim that Canon has a 'worldwide domination of the camera market' because they sell the most cameras overall (4.16m in 2019) as these are legacy DSLR products which cannot mount the 70-200 which you claim is going to outsell everyone else combined.
2019 Data? Really? Canon had barely even entered the market at that point. The idea that Sony is going to be able to compete with Canon when they direct their extraordinary resources to the full frame MILC market is wishful thinking.
Sony had a nice run while they had the market to themselves but IMO that period is over and they have failed to consolidate their position. Canon is just getting started. They are going to roll over Sony just like they rolled over everybody else.
FYI. I said Canon's 70-200's. There are currently four L 70-200 variants and, yes, I expect they will continue to sell more of those then all other manufacturer's 70-200's put together.
Canon entered the mirrorless market in 2012 - only two years after Sony. They have had ample time to catch up but have not managed it.
For Canon to pass Sony in mirrorless sales they would have to sell twice as much as they're currently selling and Sony would have to not grow at all. That's obviously not going to happen. The evidence points to a future of Sony leading with Canon second and Nikon/Fuji fighting it out for third.
As for your comment about 70-200s - I'd expect both RF lenses to be popular but EF sales will decline sharply - the mount is deprecated and s/h units will be available as people transition away from DSLR.
I don't think the evidence points to that conclusion but I guess we'll see. Nothing against Sony, but based on history there is no way I'd bet against Canon.There's still a huge number of Canon DSLR users out there and if they go mirror-less which brand do you think they'll choose, I doubt that many of them even know that Sony makes cameras.
As I said, IMO Sony had a nice run but they have not properly consolidated the market despite the fact that it is a market that they largely created. I expect them to struggle to maintain their previous market share leadership as Canon releases a compelling parade of new products over the next year or two. I also think Nikon will do better than many currently expect. Fuji has their on thing going and they probably focus on other targets than overall market share.
Well the evidence does point to Sony dominating and Canon following, you just don't want to accept it. I see a lot of people who can't imagine a scenario where Canon is no longer the market leader but I'm old enough to remember a time when they weren't so I don't find it difficult.
Canon has just invested a huge amount of time and money into creating good FF mirrorless cameras after what was arguably an uninspiring first effort. We're used to Canon cameras arriving without much of a splash in recent years, so the R5 and R6 seem impossibly good. In reality they are late entrants to the market and bring little or nothing new. They stand out against venerable Sony models but will have to best new ones to significantly increase Canon's market share. The 20mp sensor in the R6 is on the low side and the 2.5K price is high. It's not hard to see a 30mp A7IV body with a higher res EVF and a lower price wiping it out.
You could perhaps argue that there was a pent-up crowd of Canon DSLR users before the R launch, but now? The reason Canon and Nikon left it so long to change their mounts is they were well aware of the risk it entailed in losing users.
And what are these compelling products that you see Canon releasing? The truth is Sony will also release compelling products as will Nikon and Panasonic. At the moment both manufacturers are racing to put basic lenses into the line up.
According to the full Nikkei 2019 data which you selectively edited to make it look as though Sony was the dominant brand:
Share of global camera market:
Canon 45.4% Sony 20.2 %
Canon's share of the 2019 global market was more than Sony, Nikon and Fuji combined. That's been true for decades and most like will continue to be true for decades to come. Not because I really "Like" Canon but because Canon sells more cameras than anybody else. In some years more than everybody else put together.
You really need to let it go. Brand affiliation obsessions are self limiting and creatively destructive.
Reply if you feel you have to but I'm done with this nonsense.
No, I didn't 'selectively edit' the data, I mentioned that Canon sold the most cameras overall in my second post. I even gave the figure so you could compare it with the mirrorless totals.
Here's the direct quote: "they (Canon) sell the most cameras overall (4.16m in 2019) as these are legacy DSLR products which cannot mount the 70-200 which you claim is going to outsell everyone else combined".
The DSLR sales are not relevant to the RF70-200 (which is what we were originally discussing) because you can't mount the lens on a DSLR.
But you don't appear to have any grasp of the meaning of the figures. More than 75% of Canon's sales are DSLRs, which are legacy products. The majority of them are low-end rebel kits and aps-c bodies. This market is vanishing as we speak. When it reaches tipping point these buyers will be shaken out across all mirrorless manufacturers. Of course many will go to Canon milc, but equally many won't. Some won't buy another camera.
New users of course have no affiliation, and are up for grabs.
Canon: 4.16 million / 940,000 Nikon: 1.73 million / 280,000 Sony: 1.66 million / 1.65 million
Sony's DSLR sales are only 100K. They will lose next to nothing from the collapse of their own DSLR sales (SLT bodies) and only gain from Canon and Nikon losses. The majority of mirrorless sales are also low-end aps-c, like DSLRs but crucially Sony has been #1 in the FF market since 2018 (both mirrorless and DSLR) which although only ≈10% overall, is the most lucrative and the only one that is growing.
As for your comments about brand affiliation and obsession, this is more properly laid at your door since you're claiming Canon will be the market leader in the future in a second market because they were leader in a completely different market in the past. That's not a credible argument. I'm extrapolating from known data.
Dear Dpreview, I think your copy of the Sony GM is obviously faulty and consequently the test is partially flawed... my copy is much sharper wide open on my R4.. better than my old Canon EF version at all focal lengths but in any case I' d like a more compact and lighter 70-200GMII like the Canon RF version even if I wouldn't trade the robustness and the amazing AF speed of the Sony only for the form factor of the Canon..
Agreed. My copy of GM is as sharp as my previous EF 70-200L/2.8 IS II. Lensrentals also said if you can find a good copy it is as good as Canon mark II.
If that is the case, it is only Sony to blame, all of the four lenses weren't cherry picked, they worked perfectly fine, what they should have done was to add one more category to the test, Lemon Rate.
"Dear Dpreview, I think your copy of the Sony GM is obviously faulty and consequently the test is partially flawed..."
The Sony lens is not faulty. It would not have achieved the fasted focussing if it was faulty.
If you mean Jordan and Chris had a bad copy - that's possible, but I doubt that too. The lens does not have a good reputation for either sharpness or low unit variation. It is one of two FE lenses (the other being the 35/1.4) that need mark II versions.
The 70-200GM is a staggeringly over-complex design and should be simplified in its next version.
I don't need to check the reputation of the lens because I have one and my colleague that works with me for weddings and events has one too and they are both equally sharp and both are sharper than our "old" Canon EF 70-200L II and so.. yes, I'm quite sure that Jordan and Chris have a bad copy... I'm actually quite happy with my 70/200GM and as I said before I wouldn't trade it for a little more of sharpness but slower focusing speed..and what about you? Do you own one copy of the lens? DxO scores are quite high on this particular lens, in line with my experience, but maybe Sony has a problem of samples variations on this lens... By the way I agree on the 35 f1,4..that lens need a MkII soon!
This Canon RF 70-200 is a masterpiece , great IQ and incredible compactness . If I had the means for such a system ( miracles do happen ...) I would buy the R6 just to use that one and only lens .
Lumix impresses. I believe too much emphasis is placed upon the Canon's storage size. If the size of the lens in storage is more important than its characteristics in the field, priorities are askew. I must admit, though, that the Canon's weight is attractive.
To follow on your comment, if I had the means for such a system I would buy a Lumix S1R just to use the Lumix 70-200mm f/2.8 (and 50mm f/1.4). 😁
Lumix is nice for professional video setup but if you are one man crew the extra weight of their S1 series camera and lenses (or Sigma lenses) will add up fast. Canon suddenly isn't so far out there with their new hefty RF designs and this one really good, both for size and weight.
I think they are all good lenses but if you are starting out and you are interested in video and don't mind the price, size or the weight get the Panasonic, if you want the smallest and lightest in this bunch and don't mind not being able to use a teleconverter get the Canon, if you want the best all round according to this review get the Nikon while though the Sony is the oldest it did give the best AF performance (with the A7RIV) while the image quality may not be as bad as stated (lack of Lightroom presets, sample variation) you could do what I did, get the 100-400mm instead.
Panasonic took the old route and used size to insure the best image quality. But I prefer Canons innovative approach. Small size and bear close to the best IQ. The difference between focus speeds was negligible since all lenses went from nearest to far in an instant (maybe a little longer for Panasonic and I am not a fan of DFD). I’d like to see the latest Canon EF thrown in the mix and maybe the Nikon F. They should beat the Sony in IQ and Bokeh. And while focus may be a little slower they work on E and MFT mounts. The Nikon F work on Fuji X too.
Interesting that Canon, who never innovate, are the only ones innovating here. But I'm sure all these lenses are very sharp; it's been a long time since somebody made a soft 70-200.
Canon DOES innovate but it's not true they are the only ones innovating here. The Sony lens was unique at launch for featuring a unique autofocus system with twin linear motors moving a rear focusing element and a ring ultrasonic motor moving the larger front focusing group. And even though it underperformed optically verses the other lenses, it was still the fastest focussing.
When it comes to lenses Canon has always been the most innovative. Even today their EF lenses are popular on RF, E and MFT mounts as well as EF. I think there are 8 or 9 good EF to E mount adapters and most sell well. It is a shame the RF 70-200 doesn’t work on E and MFT, it might be very popular like the EF 70-200.
I just ordered mine yesterday (RF version). -800€ on the final price with Black Friday and my two cash backs. I owned the EF 4 years ago but was too big/heavy to carry regularly. This new RF changes everything (at least for me).
"Battle of the lenses" I miss the time when photographers could just enjoy their euqipment and take some lovely photos. Now every equipment is pretty much top notch and have to fight in battles to keep the brand above water xD
The comments section on the YouTube video is an absolute mess. People claim A will ‘smoke’ B and other such hyped up nonsense. It’s 2020 there will literally be unnoticeable differences between all these lenses and cameras. The only limitation being the level of the person pressing that button.
Results wise yes - I think the differences in focusing behaviour and - actual - differences in features are interesting; i.e. how the lenses "work". Not that it matters much as you buy into a system, but I think it's interesting how each has a different philosophy behind it. Which is cool.
Mnemon, jeah, I am also totaly interested in the technical aspects of photography. I like technological advanced and I like to see these well crafted lenses in detail.
It's the tone the general discussion about gear got. Its always a battle between brands, while in reality the actual specs are less and less important in photography. Every Camera above 2000 USD released in the last 5 years is certainly a more than good enough tool for all professional photographers and the results are all great =)
No argument. I'd say many released previous to the last five years, too. I can take my old K-5 and still produce images that I could sell. If I wanted to.
Thank you. As always you provide a variety of light, shadows, contrast, subjects, textures etc. so that we get a sense of the products in question.. you also almost always ignite within me a nostalgic desire to return to the PNW.
That is probably true, and the title of the current video may not be as descriptive as necessary. The introduction specifically states they are looking at lens in this focal range designed for mirrorless bodies. As noted below, Pentax currently offers neither a lens or body in that category.
I have two queries related to the Panasonic combo.
1) The S5 allows for 3 AFS speed settings. Was it set on the fastest? Does it get the focusing wrong on the fastest setting?
2) You mention the Panasonic lens is focus by wire but there is a camera setting to switch between linear and non-linear control. Does this help or is direct mechanical control still better than linear control?
Maybe a teeny bit on the smoothness of the transition from in-out of focus for the bokeh section would have been useful? Also Close focusing/Maximum magnification? The Swallows I assume... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liIlW-ovx0Y
Re aperture, would it be DOF or light sensitivity or both? Many wouldn't be too bothered about DOF with that lens, and model versus model ISO might well make it up without noticeable loss of quality.
@Ed Ingold: it has a bearing on what focal length you use to get a certain angle of view, and a longer focal length at the same f-ratio receives more light from the subject, since f-ratios are relative to the focal length. (Guess what the “f” means in “f/2.8”.)
Therefore, while it doesn’t affect the f-ratio, it does affect the light gathering, assuming that an equivalent (rather than identical) focal length is used. Just as it doesn’t change the focal length but does change the *effect* of focal length on angle of view.
One should multiply none or both, not just one of them.
Want it compact? With a larger sensor camera you can simply use the same physical focal length as for the smaller sensor cameras, and just crop to get the same field of view and about he same image quality.
I doubt that rankings of mutually incompatible lenses should have any bearing on your choice of a camera system. One has to look at the total picture (pun intended), and switching can be very expensive.
As a Sony shooter, I'm not sorry I passed over the 70-200/f2.8 in favor of the lighter and cheaper f/4 version. While that lens served my needs, I purchased a 100-400/f4.5-5.6 GM lens to replace its spot in my camera bag.
I started by renting a 100-400 for two weeks in Ireland on a photo vacation, and was impressed with its results. I use that strategy for other high-end equipment too. Reviews and galleries will never replace hands-on experience. Thank you, Lens Rentals.
This lens ranking of mirrorless FF options makes a lot of sense for me, as I didn't transition yet. Would naturally go from Nikon DSLR to Nikon Z, but Canon RF choices really impress me. I do also like the multi-vendor L-mount.
The Canon EF lens is very popular on E mount. Many of the Canon EF sports lenses are popular because they outperform the Sony’s, they are less expensive, or Sony doesn’t have a comparable lens.
I said “ Many of the Canon EF sports lenses are popular because they outperform the Sony’s” Start with this one. The video says it is a sharper lens than the Sony. When it comes to the EF vs. the 2 Amount Sony’s, it’s the same thing. The two Sony’s were ranked last among the 1st party brands (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony/Minolta). Same with the F4 70-200. Both Canon and Nikon models are optically better and outperform the Sony.
i think that it would have been funniest if you had tested the panasonic m4/3 35-100 or the Oly 40-150 . Just to see the difference between format. Nowadays i really can't find big difference between these FF top lens, but if i had to choose a new system maybe a realistic difference is more helpful
Stu-C: So what are your argumensts against these claims:
1) You can crop files from full frame sensors to get more reach 2) A full frame camera with the same physical focal length as a crop camera has pretty much the same bulk and weight as the smaller sensor cameras 3) A larger sensor area ensures higher technical image quality
Note that name calling is not valid as an argument.
I need you define the word ‘loads’ for me, I mean I can look it up myself but it’s better being spoken in your words, perhaps quantifying it in numbers, because to me it means at least 50% or perhaps even more, this word ‘loads’.
Also please, without cherry picking certain models from each format that suit your argument but aren’t actually anywhere near comparable, tell me where this same bulk and weight comes from, because that is laughable, especially on an article about 70-200 lenses.
Point 3 is just utter nonsense and the very definition of a sweeping statement if ever there was one, talk about casting a huge net in of catching something.
Oh and if you think that’s name calling, you need to grow a spine.
Doesn’t answer it all.. please explain this ‘loads better image quality’, you would be lucky if it’s 10%
And don’t avoid this bulk and weight nonsense you are spouting, provide me with examples to back this silly claim up. Show me the full frame camera and lens that’s “the same bulk and weight with ‘loads’ better image quality”
You need calling out on your utter nonsense and here I am to do it.
And the larger surface area rubbish doesn’t wash, there are too many variables, pixel density, aliasing filters, colour array, back side illumination, the processing power of the camera.
For the same weight and bulk? And give me the examples of which lenses and what the crop would be on what full frame sensor? Come on, let’s have the facts on these sweeping statements.
1) Search for compact FF camera bodies 2) Search for the same physical focal lengths for the cameras you compare 3) Look for about same bulk and weight
Now I see why Sony owners prefer the Canon EF 70-200 over the Sony G lens. It wasn’t just the price. I can also now see why someone said the R5 with the Canon lens out resolves his A7iv.
And I also didn’t realize how small that Canon lens is. This was a very helpful video.
I shoot both Sony and Canon, but I won't claim to be unbiased.
Sony got off to an amazing start, but has fallen behind. Sony's poor showing in this comparison is almost entirely due to the age of the lens. My 135mm GM is amazing and the 200-600 is the best of its kind, so Sony does make excellent glass. No doubt, Sony needs to replace its 70-200 (and 24-70...) with updated versions.
Canon decided to compete against Sony by first releasing insanely good glass. The Canon isn't the sharpest. But that's not the point. Sharpness hasn't been an issue in 70-200 lenses for over a decade. Instead of competing on sharpness, Canon revolutionizes the category in terms of size. So, by providing competitive sharpness, superb bokeh, and excellent performance while lapping the field in usability, the Canon lens clearly makes a statement. Comparing the Sony here was unfair. Instead, they should have tested the Tamron. If I was Sony only, I'd go for the Tamron over the GM without a doubt.
There is no substitute for a set of overlapping zoom lenses for a working camera, e.g., events, weddings and news gathering. They are essential too for video, where the optical demands are much less. Unfortunately not many have a positive manual focusing ring, also essential for video.
On the other hand, Sony embraced high-quality prime lenses early in the game, particularly through collaboration with Zeiss. Prime lenses are ideal for landscape and travel photography. However their development has been largely ignored by Canon and Nikon, to their detriment in the mirrorless age. Sony has gone on to develop hyper-performing specialized primes, but without the consistency and character (and compactness) of the Zeiss families.
That was to be expected. The Canon really is remarkable, while the Sony is old, and somehow, I feel, not really a GM lens (I have the same feeling about the 24-70). I guess Sony is going to have to up their game in this area.
I'm quite intrigued by the Panasonic : I used to have the same clutch with my FE90f2.8 (sold it), and liked it a lot. Quite a nice move from Panasonic. And yep the Nikon looks sexy as hell too.
Can't wait to see what Sigma is bringing to the game.
Given that 70-200mm is one of the two most popular lenses (the other one being the 24-70mm) for all users and manufacturers in the history of photography and these are the top implementations of the mirrorless big 4 group priced at 2.5k$, so it seems highly unlikely that they influence the camera choice. They 're all great lenses, even Sony's older participant. The only advantage that could influence the camera choice is pricing.
Maybe also how well older DSLR lenses will adapt, as you can get great Canon/Nikon 70-200 2.8s for a lot less money and use them at about native performance, with loads available used.
Panasonic may be the heaviest but the S1R is also over a kg so It's balance is almost as good as the Canon. Weight ratio's where the camera is 1: -1:1.54 Pana -1:1.45 Canon -1:2.22 Sony -1:1.92 Nikon.
This is totally misunderstood. The camera body is not a counterweight to balance the lens. A heavier camera body is not the same as better balance with long lenses!
More weight just add more strain and stress to your left arm when working handheld, limiting the period you can keep the combo steady.
Magnar, weight of the camera definitely impacts the balance and comfort. The heavier the camera, the closer the center of gravity to the body is. Heavier cameras decrease torsion thanks to the shorter center of gravity length. If lens is much heavier, then lens + camera won't only apply vertical weight but also an angular one (because center of gravity will be far in the lens). If you have a heavier camera, senter of gravity will be much closer to your body so it'll be mostly vertical weight. Angular weight is more stressing on your wrists and arm. This is tried and tested and confirmed by many sports photographers. Shy do you think they prefer heavier bodies? Some even attach battery grip to smaller cameras.
Actually with this type of lens the relative contribution of camera weight is something to care less, unless you have a really heavy camera greatly exceeding the lens weight. When I carry my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, I hold it from the lens and very little from the camera during shooting. The spot where you hold it doesn't matter, as there is a large area to find the right spot to hold. I am not aware if there is any 70-200mm f/2.8 that you need to hold it very close to the camera body that could be an issue. The camera+lens weight is what matters with this type of lenses. The relative weight is important on much shorter lenses, which have a lot of weight. Not much relative with the camera body as the relative with the length of the lens. That can be a concern in my opinion with Sigma 40mm and 105mm f/1.4 Art or Nikon 58mm Z f/0.95 lenses which they haven't a large area to catch the system from the lens. Camera body does matter when you talk about how much easy is to hold it and operate it.
Let's say your lens weighs 1kg and the center of gravity for the lens is 10cm away from your body. If your body now also weighs 1kg the total center of gravity is 5cm in front of the body. >The total torque on your hand is now 0.981Nm, the total force on your hand is now 19.62N
Now we increase the weight of the body to 2kg. The total center of gravity moves closer to the camera body. It is now 3.3cm in front of the body. But the total mass also increased to 3kg >The total torque on your hand is now still 0.981Nm, the total force on your hand is now 29.43N
So you cannot decrease the twisting torque by increasing body weight
@ NexUser: After using long telephoto lenses for many years, starting with the Leitz 400 mm and 560 mm Tely lenses with a light and small camera body without extra grip (comparable to the smallest modern full frame mirrorless cameras), I really prefer a lighter camera body when handling the combo, compared to, say, high end DSLR camera bodies.
Les weight is very wercome not only when you shoot, but also when you walk for hours with loads of gear,
But if these is to be less weight it makes more of a difference in the lens not the body. Try holding a small weight on the end of a stick with your arm extended parallel to the ground. It is harder than holding a slightly heavier weight close your body. It’s that torque and small grip that makes many Sony cameras so uncomfortable to hold and use compared to Nikon Z, Canon R, and Panasonic mirrorless cameras.
@ stevevelvia50: Well, there is a Dpreview gallery tied to my account here, where I put some of my photos taken at leisure time, some of those that I make just for my own pleasure.
The Canon lens is the best, The Sony lens is the "worst". The Canon lens is the most expensive ($2700) The Sony the Cheapest ($2400) The Sony lens will work on my Sony camera, The Canon lens will not work on my Sony camera and visa versa! In the end the big question is: Is the Sony lens good enough for you to make great pictures? Personally I do think so, it is a good lens, maybe not the best, but a good lens in the end.
Absolutely right, but even when you haven't invested in a system the questions I asked are relevant. It would be nice if every lens was tested on every resolution camera the brands have, so you can see of the sharpness gain with one lens is relevant for your camera of choice (not everybody wants or needs the highest resolution cameras)
If you're here (so a photographer) and you've not invested in Mirrorless you probably have a DSLR and quite possibly an excellent 70-200 2.8 you can adapt (if you stay with the same manufacturer).
If we had Leica lens in the review, the Noct unit of measurement would not be enough. We would have to introduce the kidney type of measurement, based on how much you have to offer in order to get it. Doctors have access to much more at the end. Kidding aside, it would be interesting to compare Leica lenses with consumer lenses in order to see if their reputation is justified. I think that at some level they were taking advantage of shorter flange distance. The mentioned lens though is one of its kind due to the focal length and the aperture range. It isn't a 70-200mm f/2.8 or a 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. It could be though compared with a 70-200 f/2.8 with 1.4x teleconverter as it will work as a 98-280mm f/4 lens then.
I really enjoyed the review and your sense of humor. Thanks for that.
That said - as none of these lenses are meant to be used on another system, it is a bit of an academic comparison for most, isnt it. If you own a Canon RF or a Nikon Z body.. these are your only choices to buy and you cant use the others in the comparison can you?
@DC: Except it is a 'stacked', or limited comparison. On the strength of this, I would dismiss the Sony option, and probably the Panasonic, but in reality they might actually be the best options because of third party offerings. To me, it is more a lesson in how reviews can be misleading by omission.
@CaPi: Personally I'm not in the market for a 70-200 2.8. I am, however, in the market for a new camera system. For me, it is very important to have a good travel/super zoom, since that will be the lens I'm going to be using while traveling most of the time. And therefore, the availability and quality of super zooms is a crucial factor in my decision; for example, I probably won't choose Fuji X because the 16-80 f4 is just not good enough compared to RF 24-240 and Z 24-200.
And if I were a user of 70-200mm lenses, this comparison would be highly interesting for me. Honestly, the small size of the RF 70-200 could be a strong argument in favor of EOS R.
@DC: For what it's worth, I think the Z 24-200 to be a very good lens and the Fuji to be nice but a bit soft I would recommend considering more than that one criterion.
To be clear I was being sarcastic. I think the reason might be, as Chris points out, that it is an earlier design. Is there actually anything that suggests the smaller mount diameter is a problem?
Apparently, Nikon made the sharpest DSLR 70-200 on the smallest mount (F-mount), how was that possible? Maybe because 70-200s are generally telecentric and so mount size doesn't matter at all? If Nikon used the full mount width close to the actual mount they wouldn't be able to use a teleconverter. If anything Canon makes more use of their mount (even if in this case it doesn't help the user)
Having used a Sony and moved to Nikon I can say the smaller mount makes a difference with IBIS. It is notably better handholding in low light with the Nikon which has much more latitude for movement than the Sony.
As you can see, despite having a smaller mount, the Sony lens is sharper, has a better vignetting characteristic (-1.6EV, versus -2.1EV) and has a true F2.8 aperture (T2.8), whilst the Nikon has a T-stop of T3.0.
The Nikon 70-200/2.8S is just an optically better lens than the Sony 70-200/2.8GM - it's nothing to do with the mount.
I guess if you are looking to buy into a system, then this gives you an idea of what to expect from the native 70-200's. But, they are not the only options, so only really useful if you insist on using a native lens.
so you did not watch the vid when chris say it was a test of ML lenses so compectnes will be the 1st category...anyway only 4 pataxeons will be watching anyway joking aside pentax not being very popular will be one reason the other is pentax don't seem to want to give kit for testing ...Tony Northrup got fed up of asking ...is not the pentax 70-200 a tamron lens anyway but more expensive ?
Pentax 70-200/2.8 is a nice lens (I have it), but I don't think it would do all that great in this test.
1. AF speed either on par with Panasonic or worse (probably worse) 2. Not sure about Loca, but it certainly doesn't have Sony's blue fringing 3. Image resolution wide open better in the centre than Sony, but corners are as weak 4. Bokeh is pretty good I think, in this category could work well 5. Absurd amount of focus breathing and also not really parfocal 6. Heaviest of the bunch by quite a margin
Canon isn't much behind though and single AF speed is good in all those lenses. I am surprised that all those lenses go from MFD to infinity without a blink.
All lens manufacturing is a compromise. The Canon lens is small but can't use a teleconverter. It is a compromise. The Sony lens focus fast but have focus breathing. It is a compromise
What we didn't see in this video, was how much noise the lenses make while focusing. Noise is bad for video use. Was the Sony worse? We don't know.
We also didn't see how much focus lens-group movement the lenses had. Does Sony have fast focus by using a short focus movement, which on the other hand, makes it harder to manual focus. We don't know.
Or maybe it really is all down to the camera after all, and Sony just do AF well and therefor decided to focus on focus when designing thier lens. With all the compromise that involves.
Whatever the reason, the other manufacturers have made the decision, that thier lens is good enough to be sold on the marked based on the design choice they made, with all the build-in compromises that involves.
The Tamron was missing and is a small lightweight alternative. That said the most exciting entry will probably be once Sigma finishes their DG DN trinity with a 70-200 2.8. Will probably be one of the best 70-200s at a reasonable price. At that point Sony really has to redo the GM
My only beef with the Tamron is the dreaded "Cracked Cam Barrel" repair, which Tamron will almost always blame/assume is the consumers fault and it's not a cheap repair. I've had it done within the warranty period and still got milked for the repair cost. The Tamron is still the best bang for the buck though, even with the repair cost added in.
I never thought Panasonic would be that good. Best bokeh, second best in sharpness, best for video. Nikon has best sharpness, just like their DLSR FL lens has the best sharpness among DSLR rivals. Canon lens is the best for my purpose. Small, light, and almost no compromise which is fantastic. I cannot carry heavy and large lenses anymore so this lens is a winner. Sony is the oldest and it looks to be the worst optically.
I think Panasonic have been great at making both cameras and lenses, their only flaw in my opinion is that the AF is not seen as being competitive with other brands.
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