I had the opportunity to swap cameras with a Sony A7R user - I was using my Leica S2, My colleague had a pet dog that she found particularly challenging to get a good photograph of. And I had to agree: with this subject, the A7r simply wasn't up the to the task of focusing on such a dark moving subject, and using the focus-by-wire lenses was
completely out of the question. This 2 1/2 year old Labrador/Golden retriever cross wasn't in any mood to sit still (and even when she did it wasn't for long). But the Leica S2 with its large vibration inducing mirror and big heavy lenses was able to get images that the Sony camera wasn't able to. Also, the Leica summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH lens
wiped the floor with the the Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar T* in terms of contrast, colour reproduction, and overall image quality. Personally I was underwhelmed* by the performance of the Carl Zeiss lens. In addition I have to say the use of focus-by-wire mechanism on many E mount lenses lowered my opinion of lenses made for the Sony E mount**.
Leica S2 - Leica Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH (non CS version) @ f/4 ISO 320 1/250th (slight crop) Originally posted by Clavius Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely NOT advocating taking pictures at arms length.
That won't stop people from trying - and complaining they can't get sharp images.
* This could be caused by sample variation, but the Zeiss Loxia didn't have the Zeiss "look" to my eyes, and this is rather upsetting to me. For many years I have used
classic Zeiss RF and SLR glass like the Biogon 21mm f2.8, Distagon 35mm f/2, Planar 50mm f/2 and more recently - the Carl Zeiss OTUS 55mm f/1.4. Personally I think It would be a shame to see Zeiss lenses lose their character.
** As I understand it: Nearly all native Sony E and FE lenses focus by wire ( The two Zeiss loxia lenses: the 35mm f/2 and 50mm f/2 have excellent manual focus helicoids). Personally I
loathe using focus by wire lenses.
Last edited by Digitalis; 12-23-2014 at 05:20 AM.