Affordable Lenses for Sony F3

Nate Weaver · December 23rd, 2010, 08:05 PM

I've been shooting for almost 3 years on one regularly. Despite it has zero "wow" appeal for Red work, its been my go-to lens for a long time.

It's as sharp as you could ever hope for. The only zooms I've used that are sharper and more consistent are the Optimos.

The only real downside to this lens has been that the mechanics have always been inconsistent. I've used some that grind a little, some that feel a little loose, some that feel a little tight, etc etc. But the optics have always been consistent.

Moreover, the later manufactured units seem to have been much improved mechanically. For what these lenses are going for, they are WELL worth it. Many folks paid $6500 for them and they were rightfully dissapointed. At $3K, it's a steal.

Back in the day, man, people paid $14k for a Century rehoused Canon 17-35 that wasn't nearly as good. You kind of need that perpective to understand where this lens sits in the spectrum.

Ron Wilk · December 31st, 2010, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Tapa

Andy, William

The Nikon G and Canon FD adaptors are being made now and we have already taken many pre orders for shipping in January.

We have already been given permission from Sony UK to make an Alpha/Minolta to F3 adaptor (of course with an aperture control ring) and this will follow very soon after.

All the best

Hello,
Are you planning a Leica M bayonet to F3 adapter?

Thank you in advance.

Steve Kalle · January 2nd, 2011, 08:19 PM

What sort of timeframe do you have for the Alpha to F3 w/ aperture ring? As a former Alpha photographer, I can attest to their outstanding glass including: Zeiss 24-70/2.8, Zeiss 135/1.8 and my favorite lens of all-time, the Sony 135 STF f2.8/T4.5 - stunning bokeh and tack sharp.

My only concern with fast SLR lenses is that almost all of them from every manufacturer have problems with longitudinal CA. The Sony/Zeiss 85/1.4 is technically better than the Nikon/Zeiss version but they exhibit large amounts of purple fringing known as L-CA.

Alister Chapman · January 3rd, 2011, 05:06 AM

The double edged sword of a lens with high MTF. Generally the sharper the lens the more CA as different wavelengths of light focus at different points. A soft lens will hide the CA as the colours blur into each other. Make the lens sharper and you start to see different colours focus on different planes, the most noticeable being the far extremes of the spectrum, violet and red. You can mitigate this by combining different exotic glasses with different refractive indexes, but these special glasses are often grown from crystals and as a result can be extremely expensive.

Steve Kalle · January 3rd, 2011, 01:22 PM

Lo-CA is different because it rears its ugly head more and more as the aperture gets wider which is why the f1.4 & f1.8 lenses have the biggest problem with Lo-CA. Furthermore, as the aperture gets wider, the MTF decreases while the Lo-CA increases.

Image below is from Zeiss ZA Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ( Sony SAL-85F14Z ) - Review / Test Report - Analysis
Testing the Sony/Zeiss 85/1.4 on an A700. Notice the purple fringing on the lower numbers and the green fringe on the numbers above the focus plane. That is Longitudinal CA.

Just so people know that other Zeiss lenses have this issue, I have included the Nikon/Zeiss 85/1.4 from the same site Zeiss Planar ZF T* 85mm f/1.4 - Review / Test Report - Analysis

If people want the very best Zeiss SLR lenses for the F3, then get the Sony's: 24/2; 16-35/2.8; 24-70/2.8; 85/1.4; 135/1.8; for a budget zoom, the 16-80/3.5-4.5. And you can't go wrong with the Sony 'G' 70-200/2.8 and the Sony 'STF' 135/2.8(T4.5).

Alister Chapman · January 4th, 2011, 01:55 AM

Lo CA is CA and the cause is the same as any other CA. The problem gets worse as you open the iris because the amount of glass being used increases and as a result so does the amount of dispersion, or to be precise variation in dispersion across each lens element as dispersion is dependant on glass thickness and this varies across the width of a lens. It's why for very large focal length, big aperture lenses, ie telescopes, mirrors are preferred as these don't suffer from CA.

Steven S. Miric · January 4th, 2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

The range of 35mm SLR lenses that can be used is far too extensive to list them all.

My current favourite all rounder is the Tokina 28 to 70 mm f2.6 ATX Pro Mk1 or Mk2. These lenses share the same optical design as the Angineux 28 to 70mm lens and are very good. They are highly sought after lenses (Must be the Mk1 or Mk2, not the ASV version) but you can pick them up for around 250 Euros. They are not all that fast at T3 but are good all round performers.

Just got one on eBay for $314US including shipping from Japan to Canada... 'Been looking for this one for some time...

Leonard Levy · January 4th, 2011, 10:47 PM

I had a Tokina 28-70 and it was pretty good (great for the price) but not as sharp as my other Nikon or Canon glass so I sold it. I did compare it to a couple of Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC lenses and I found it to be sharper, but it did have some distortion at the wide end.

I don't know how much the F3 will show up the weaknesses of 2nd tier glass.

Steven S. Miric · January 5th, 2011, 08:07 AM

F3 is still not on market, so we don't have all accessories yet... I would love to see some Canon EOS lens adapters for F3 (with possibility to adjust f stop). As I do have a very nice collection of high speed "L" primes. For now, Tokina 28-70 with Nikon adapter will do until I actually try it on the camera body.

Of course if the proper (EOS) adapter shows up sooner than later, my lens collection for F3 would be more than completed overnight... We'll see...

Thierry Humeau · January 5th, 2011, 08:29 AM

Same here, I'd love to be able to use my EF L lenses with the F3 but I don't see how it would be possible to have aperture control. There is support for talking to Cooke and ARRI lenses but I don't know if Canon EF lenses was ever considered. I am sure will see support for Alpha lenses sooner than later.

Thierry.

Alister Chapman · January 5th, 2011, 01:40 PM

Well you could use Canon lenses by setting the iris to open or a stop or two down from open where it probably performs a little better and then using a vari-ND to control exposure. Not quite as nice as proper aperture control but not too bad a compromise.

Steve Kalle · January 5th, 2011, 01:47 PM

Didn't RedRockMicro make an electronic Canon adapter for their M2 DOF adapter? If they can do it, why can't others.

Andy Shipsides · January 5th, 2011, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thierry Humeau

Same here, I'd love to be able to use my EF L lenses with the F3 but I don't see how it would be possible to have aperture control. There is support for talking to Cooke and ARRI lenses but I don't know if Canon EF lenses was ever considered. I am sure will see support for Alpha lenses sooner than later.

Thierry.

I've heard that Birger Engineering plans to make an EF to F3 adapter, which will power the lens and allow for aperture control. But I think this would take some time to complete.

Andy

Giuseppe Pugliese · January 6th, 2011, 02:14 PM

Also just to let people know, eventually it sounds like MTF will be planning on making a BNCR adapter for the F3, which can open up another world of lenses available on the used market as well.

Possibly they could do an OCT19 as well ?

Peter Corbett · January 19th, 2011, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

My current favourite all rounder is the Tokina 28 to 70 mm f2.6 ATX Pro Mk1 or Mk2. These lenses share the same optical design as the Angineux 28 to 70mm lens and are very good. They are highly sought after lenses (Must be the Mk1 or Mk2, not the ASV version) but you can pick them up for around 250 Euros. They are not all that fast at T3 but are good all round performers.

What is the "ASV" version Alistair? I can't find any Tokinas quoting the Mk1, Mk2 or ASV markings on the second hand market.

Cheers,
Peter

December 23rd, 2010, 08:05 PM	#16
Nate Weaver Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,100	I've been shooting for almost 3 years on one regularly. Despite it has zero "wow" appeal for Red work, its been my go-to lens for a long time. It's as sharp as you could ever hope for. The only zooms I've used that are sharper and more consistent are the Optimos. The only real downside to this lens has been that the mechanics have always been inconsistent. I've used some that grind a little, some that feel a little loose, some that feel a little tight, etc etc. But the optics have always been consistent. Moreover, the later manufactured units seem to have been much improved mechanically. For what these lenses are going for, they are WELL worth it. Many folks paid $6500 for them and they were rightfully dissapointed. At $3K, it's a steal. Back in the day, man, people paid $14k for a Century rehoused Canon 17-35 that wasn't nearly as good. You kind of need that perpective to understand where this lens sits in the spectrum. __________________ My Work: nateweaver.net

January 3rd, 2011, 05:06 AM	#19
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	The double edged sword of a lens with high MTF. Generally the sharper the lens the more CA as different wavelengths of light focus at different points. A soft lens will hide the CA as the colours blur into each other. Make the lens sharper and you start to see different colours focus on different planes, the most noticeable being the far extremes of the spectrum, violet and red. You can mitigate this by combining different exotic glasses with different refractive indexes, but these special glasses are often grown from crystals and as a result can be extremely expensive. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

January 3rd, 2011, 01:22 PM	#20
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Lo-CA is different because it rears its ugly head more and more as the aperture gets wider which is why the f1.4 & f1.8 lenses have the biggest problem with Lo-CA. Furthermore, as the aperture gets wider, the MTF decreases while the Lo-CA increases. Image below is from Zeiss ZA Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ( Sony SAL-85F14Z ) - Review / Test Report - Analysis Testing the Sony/Zeiss 85/1.4 on an A700. Notice the purple fringing on the lower numbers and the green fringe on the numbers above the focus plane. That is Longitudinal CA. Just so people know that other Zeiss lenses have this issue, I have included the Nikon/Zeiss 85/1.4 from the same site Zeiss Planar ZF T* 85mm f/1.4 - Review / Test Report - Analysis If people want the very best Zeiss SLR lenses for the F3, then get the Sony's: 24/2; 16-35/2.8; 24-70/2.8; 85/1.4; 135/1.8; for a budget zoom, the 16-80/3.5-4.5. And you can't go wrong with the Sony 'G' 70-200/2.8 and the Sony 'STF' 135/2.8(T4.5). Attached Thumbnails Attached Images

January 4th, 2011, 01:55 AM	#21
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Lo CA is CA and the cause is the same as any other CA. The problem gets worse as you open the iris because the amount of glass being used increases and as a result so does the amount of dispersion, or to be precise variation in dispersion across each lens element as dispersion is dependant on glass thickness and this varies across the width of a lens. It's why for very large focal length, big aperture lenses, ie telescopes, mirrors are preferred as these don't suffer from CA. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

January 5th, 2011, 08:29 AM	#25
Thierry Humeau Telecam Films Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Washington DC Posts: 723	Same here, I'd love to be able to use my EF L lenses with the F3 but I don't see how it would be possible to have aperture control. There is support for talking to Cooke and ARRI lenses but I don't know if Canon EF lenses was ever considered. I am sure will see support for Alpha lenses sooner than later. Thierry. __________________ Thierry Humeau, DoP Télécam Films www.telecamfilms.com

January 2nd, 2011, 08:19 PM	#18
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	What sort of timeframe do you have for the Alpha to F3 w/ aperture ring? As a former Alpha photographer, I can attest to their outstanding glass including: Zeiss 24-70/2.8, Zeiss 135/1.8 and my favorite lens of all-time, the Sony 135 STF f2.8/T4.5 - stunning bokeh and tack sharp. My only concern with fast SLR lenses is that almost all of them from every manufacturer have problems with longitudinal CA. The Sony/Zeiss 85/1.4 is technically better than the Nikon/Zeiss version but they exhibit large amounts of purple fringing known as L-CA.

January 4th, 2011, 10:47 PM	#23
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	I had a Tokina 28-70 and it was pretty good (great for the price) but not as sharp as my other Nikon or Canon glass so I sold it. I did compare it to a couple of Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC lenses and I found it to be sharper, but it did have some distortion at the wide end. I don't know how much the F3 will show up the weaknesses of 2nd tier glass.

January 5th, 2011, 08:07 AM	#24
Steven S. Miric Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 52	F3 is still not on market, so we don't have all accessories yet... I would love to see some Canon EOS lens adapters for F3 (with possibility to adjust f stop). As I do have a very nice collection of high speed "L" primes. For now, Tokina 28-70 with Nikon adapter will do until I actually try it on the camera body. Of course if the proper (EOS) adapter shows up sooner than later, my lens collection for F3 would be more than completed overnight... We'll see...

January 5th, 2011, 01:40 PM	#26
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Well you could use Canon lenses by setting the iris to open or a stop or two down from open where it probably performs a little better and then using a vari-ND to control exposure. Not quite as nice as proper aperture control but not too bad a compromise. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

January 5th, 2011, 01:47 PM	#27
Steve Kalle Trustee Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,554	Didn't RedRockMicro make an electronic Canon adapter for their M2 DOF adapter? If they can do it, why can't others.

January 6th, 2011, 02:14 PM	#29
Giuseppe Pugliese Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York Posts: 392	Also just to let people know, eventually it sounds like MTF will be planning on making a BNCR adapter for the F3, which can open up another world of lenses available on the used market as well. Possibly they could do an OCT19 as well ?