Do I really need my stock lens?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

As most know I run 2 x EA-50's at weddings and on my "A" Camera the stock lens is always used for just wedding ceremonies and speeches and manual zoom too. I use the "B" cam for everything else so for stuff like the stedicam, cutaways and such the stock lens on that cam works fairly well and any other non-wedding shoot I use the "B" cam anyway.

Since the Power Zoom doesn't give the best image in low light anyway and zoom is only for framing, I'm wondering if I would be better off with a shorter and sharper zoom on my "A" camera??? Something like the Tamron or Sigma 18-50 or 24-70 F2.8 I think might give me a sharper image .... All I can see at his stage is that I would lose the spot focus feature and with peaking I can focus just as well manually.. Sheesh at worst if I needed a bit of zoom I could easily use digital zoom too?

The 18-200 Power Zoom is a pricey lens here (around $1200) and I wonder if there would be a market for a used one with NEX users? If I really did HAVE to have a big zoom I still have my Tamron 18-200 F3.5 to do the job.

Any comments??? Would it be a sensible or silly move?? I would still keep the stock lens on the second camera.

Chris

[Dave Baker]

Hi Chris,

By complete coincidence, I just bought the successor to the Sigma 18-50, the Sigma AF 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM OS, for my EOS 60D.

I haven't had a chance to give it any field tests yet, but the quick test I gave it suggests it is a pretty good performer. If it's compatible with your camera, the OS is worth having. So far I have just hand held it and shaken the camera a bit, the image on the LCD stayed firmly in place.

I compared it with the Tamron 17-50, the final thing that swung me round to the Sigma is the direction of travel of the focus ring. On the Sigma it travels anti-clockwise to infinity, the way I'm used to and on the Tamron it travels the Nikon way, clockwise to infinity, which I'm not!

Dave

[Chris Harding]

Hey Dave

I'm using a dumb adapter on the EA-50 so I don't need OSS featured lenses with focus motors ..My Nikon bodies also work with lenses with no built-in motor as they have their own and that saves money!!

I guess to need to find out if there is a market for Sony NEX Power Zoom lenses so I can offset the cost a bit!!

Chris

[Matt Bigwood]

Hi Chris, I bought the Sony 18-105mm f4 last week as I was fed up with the jerky zoom on the stock lens. Although it is f4, it has a constant aperture and gives me a smooth zoom like I had on my Sony Z7. Very pleased with it so far.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Matt

Thanks for that ...what is it like in dark settings (like a wedding in a Church) I find the 18-200 goes very soft in low light.

Did you keep your 18-200 or sell it???

Chris

[Noa Put]

What I didn't like on that stocklens was the unusable powerzoom and the fact that it was a slow lens, my lens did "twitch" at the start of a zoom and it was noticeable, as I had seen more reports on it and video examples this is a issue related to the mechanics which more lenses seem to suffer from. Once you where zooming the speed was nice and constant though much too slow for my use as I only zoom to reframe.
That's why I zoomed manually and I found it a joy to work with, manual zoom operation was very smooth and controllable in speed and I used it all the time to quickly get other focal lengths, as a solo shooter I found that very valuable.
Also the wide to tele focal length made it a very versatile lens.
The autofocus was also pretty good but slow, I used that lens during a large part of the day, as long as light was sufficient, but indoors I quickly had to ramp up the iso way too high for any usable shots. As much as that lens had it's quirks I really liked shooting with it, it was my go to lens for most situations, even indoors, IF light was sufficient.

[Matt Bigwood]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Matt

Thanks for that ...what is it like in dark settings (like a wedding in a Church) I find the 18-200 goes very soft in low light.

Did you keep your 18-200 or sell it???

Chris

Hi Chris, I haven't used it in low light - most of the stuff I film is well-lit interviews, or walk-rounds of exhibitions etc where low light isn't as much of an issue. The problem with the kit lens was that the image on screen gets darker as I zoom in due to the aperture reaching f6.3, and also the wobble as it starts to zoom (I set the exposure manually). I have kept the kit lens as it gives me the 200mm option if I need it.

[Shaun Roemich]

Chris, too bad you're in Australia because I know several folks here that are looking to pick up the 18 - 200 power zoom at a discount.

[Craig Marshall]

The day I sold my stock 18-200mm Sony 'kit' lens was the day I began to appreciate the R&D which went into the design of the NEX VG20/30/EA50 E-Mount series. When it comes to lenses, I've always liked the 'look' of the vintage Carl Zeiss 'Contax' series of full frame lenses as they share the same T* coatings as the legendary CP2 'Cinema' series so make a great compliment to any modern FF or APS-C digital camera. I have nice collection of Zeiss primes but only one zoom and I use them all on my Sony E-mount cameras via the Metabones C/Y > NEX 'Speedbooster'.

The 28-70mm F3.5 is a lens I can recommend because it is the only 'Contax' zoom with three operational rings so it does not 'extend' more than about 1cm in total length so consequently, it is the only Zeiss zoom which can be easily rigged with a matte box. Second hand prices on Ebay are still reasonable for this zoom lens but I have noticed them rising sharply over the last 12 months or so. Speed at the sensor is F2.8 wide open, (taking into account one of the Speed Booster's advantages) which may not be fast enough for certain applications but it suits my largely outdoor photography very nicely.

PS: I have this Zeiss zoom rigged on my VG20 with rails, matte box and a 'follow focus' on the LH side plus a second FF on the RH side so I can focus and zoom in to frame a shot simultaneously, with only my two thumbs.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Matt

It's pretty good in bright sun but drops off quite a lot when the light fades and images to me look decidedly soft. Doing the same shots with a much cheaper Tamron 17-50 F2.8 they are decidedly sharper. It's just very frustrating when the wedding looks awesome outside and then quite soft inside a dark church. I have no option with the auto focus too as in low light the lens struggles with auto so it has to be a manual focus situation. Outside in the bright light the AF is awesome!!

Thanks Shaun ...If I decide to go that route I'll also list here and international express post is pretty fast anyway.

Thanks also Craig ... the Contax is magic glass ..then again I must admit I have also be drawn to Konica Minolta glass too having previously own still cameras on my photo side. I had two Konika Minolta Point and Shoot Dimage Hi7 cameras which were on 5 mp but that glass was absolutely stunning and looking back and comparing my images with my newer Nikons was chalk and cheese... lens quality has definitely dropped in this new era compared to the stunning optics of older cameras!! Is the lens inside the Metabone sufficiently good enough not to spoil the quality of your Zeiss lenses up front??

Chris

Chris

[Craig Marshall]

Chris, I'm convinced the Metabones product compliments the these older 'film' lenses perfectly. The Speed Booster is a somewhat misunderstood device and probably bought for the most part, for it's +1 stop light amplification (when using FF lenses with APS-C sensors) but it also offers a number of other advantages when using vintage FF SLR lenses with modern digital cameras, especially the improvemnents in Contrast and MTF and of course, the off set of the 1.5 crop factor. A 25mm Zeiss wide angle lens on an APS-C sensor, becomes a 25mm lens again and given the staggering price the 21mm Zeiss F2.8 still brings on the second hand market, that's an important factor.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Craig

Thanks and ouch the Contax lenses are going up alright in price!! What happens, just for interest if I use the metabones booster with my array of Nikon mount G lenses? I am assuming they will then make something like a 24-70 a true 24 to 70 so you get a slightly wider lens range and a stop faster BUT I suspect they might vignette at the wide end with an APSC sensor like the EA-50 has whereas a FF lens would not. ... or am I wrong? It would be a pity not to be able to use my Nikon mount lenses on either camera and more modern lenses do give you a better selection but then again 33mm lenses in the 35-70 range were quite common in my 35mm film days.

Chris

[Craig Marshall]

No vignetting - so long as your 'G' lenses are Full Frame, your 35mm Nikkor will be 35mm again on APS-C.

PS: The Zeiss Contax 35-70mm is a ledgendary 'zoom' as it is said to be as good as a prime lens, hence the price but it extends out. A lot! So my recomendation is to go for the 28-70mm which is still a bit of a 'sleeper', price wise.

(there was some discussion whether the 28-70mm F3.5 was made by Zeiss in their Japanese factory or by another Japanese lens maker but Zeiss sold it as a 'kit' zoom with one of their Contax SLRs and it has the T* coating too, so it's good enough for me and it intercuts perfectly with my other Contax primes!)

[Chris Harding]

Hmmm sadly all my Nikon mount lenses are either Di II or DX which means they work only on APSC sensors and are not for full frame cameras ..I seem to remember that was the one reason I didn't get a Metabones speed booster and opted for just a dumb adapter.

I guess those WILL vignette if used with the speed booster or does metabones make a speed booster that will work with APSC lenses I wonder. I find that strange as most people with stills kits will probably have the APSC lenses.

[Craig Marshall]

Yes, the Speed Booster only 'works' with FF>APS-C or FF>MFT as this is where the extra stop of light comes from. (ie: all the light is directed onto the sensor rather than wasted in the area between the sensor and the image circle)

PS: An APS-C lens > MFT sensor Speed Booster is a possibility though.