CraigC
All-Pro
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Name
- Craig
-
Cameraderie, a friendly photography forum, join now for free!
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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Fun story: Today, I visited one of the biggest photography stores in Switzerland, Zumstein in Bern. I looked at a couple of interesting used and vintage lenses, but decided against buying any in the end. After that, one of the old hands waxed poetically about the Hasselblad X2D 100C he had just taken on holiday with him (one of the perks of working in such a store, I guess), and I got to handle the camera - impressive. He then tried to sell it to me in earnest as the only camera true enthusiasts would ever need, together with one, two or three lenses, the rest would be a matter of cropping. But what he also said was that the new 55mm f/2.5 had wonderful bokeh, "the best". The image above is the shot I responded with: Leica M10 with Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4, wide open. The bokeh at least is at least (sorry) the equal of the otherwise certainly fantastic Hasselblad combo. Of course, the M10's sensor can't begin to match the resolution of the Hasselblad. But it's what I have and am pretty happy with nonetheless.
For context: I also got to handle some other stuff I had wanted to see "in person" for some time: I had my suspicions about the Z8 confirmed (fantastic body, responsive as anything, but just too big for me personally) and got to use the pretty nifty Z 28-75mm f/2.8, a lens I thought would be slightly too big and heavy to feel nice on the Z 6, but that's not the case: It feels at least as good as the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 which is more or less the same size and weight - FWIW, I think the Z 28-75mm f/2.8 balances a tiny bit better, which is nice. Good to know - I own the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and love it, but find it (like the great Z 24-120mm f/4 S) just slightly too big and heavy to be considered as an everyday lens by me; the Z 28-75mm f/2.8 might, at some point in time, turn out to be a valid option for that purpose. At the moment, I prefer resorting to primes or use the Z 50 with its smaller, lighter zooms - and I'm usually pretty satisfied with the results (which tells you quite a bit about the Z 18-140mm DX and the Z 12-28mm DX).
M.
CraigC
All-Pro
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Name
- Craig
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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This is kind of a test shot - I did a series of these: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 II, best balance: At f/2, it's sharper at the focus point, less smeared in the corners; it shows less of the stark outlining and appears smoother overall than it does wide open, but there are still some "bubbles". I should have done this "inspection" a while ago to get the hang of a lens I had some trouble warming up to: In sharp contrast to its predecessor, this lens manages reliable sharpness at the focus point throught its aperture range, but it still changes its character from aperture to aperture, and visibly so. Indeed, f/2 is smoother than f/1.4 in the background because some of the harsh transitions are gone; at narrower apertures, contrast picks up even more, and so some structured busyness is back at f/2.8 - but it's more balanced again at f/4. Quite a ride. By f/5.6, the lens performs very well indeed; the last residues of corner smearing are gone at f/8. This is quite an enticing tool, certainly as much fun to shoot as its smaller, sharper, somewhat better behaved little sibling, the Ultron 35mm f/2 I used yesterday (I perfer the "II" housing, btw.). Yes, the Ultron is the better corrected lens (no smearing whatsoever, way less CA), but the "Classic" draws quite nicely and diversely - and is surprisingly capable. As a "brush", I even think the Nokton might be the better choice. That said, I'd still pick the Ultron as a minimalist one-lens travel setup.
M.
- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
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Laowa 10mm f/4 at (more or less) MFD - it was very difficult for me to stand completely still; possible lack of sharpness is most probably due to me swaying back and forth (35° C, stiflingly, and I'm tired). Time for loads of water before leaving for rehearsal. Thankfully, it'll all be over by Sunday (the concerts as well as the heat wave).
M.
- Location
- Ellensburg, WA
- Name
- Chris
Herman
The Image Stimulator
- Location
- The Netherlands
- Name
- Herman
Herman, the lens said thank you very much.
