Leica's new MF system

[paul_jones]

I can hack you an app that will send images to any wifi ipod, iphone or laptop in the room.

Edmund
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=214995\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

if you can do that, you will be very popular!  the trick would be to try and make it easy to setup. ive tried really hard to get that wireless thing on the side of a canon to work, but no success. even tried to get computer nerd types to hep me, but they have had no luck. its just so unintuative, and really isnt designed for osx.

paul

[Natasa Stojsic]

I can hack you an app that will send images to any wifi ipod, iphone or laptop in the room.

Edmund
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=214995\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

How much time do you need to do it and are you talking about an app that will send images to multiple ipods, iphones, laptops...?

[Gary Yeowell]

Just going back to alternative lenses the 1DS3....

5 months ago i ditched all my Canon glass except the 35f1.4 and replaced it with a mixture of Contax Zeiss and Nikon AIS. The reason was that when i first went from the 5D/1DS2 to the 1DS3 i was not quite as impressed as i thought i'd have been, with only two lenses (Canon 35f1.4 & 85f1.2)really capable of showing the  differences at least in terms of detail captured, as for sure colour was miles better. Once the 21mm Contax was tried there was no going back and so i proceeded to try others. I now use a very small selection of well tested and chosen primes that suit my style and weigh as little as possible, being a travel shooter weight and versatility are key. My current lens list is 21mm Zeiss Contax, 28f2.8 Zeiss Contax, Canon 35f1.4, 50f1.4 Zeiss ZF, Nikon 105f2.5AIS. (Plus Mamiya 7 & 50/80 for film)

With live view the manual lenses are a dream, and as most of my work is tripod based, not an issue. Colour rendition and sharpness are the first things to note with the Zeiss, but more importantly it's the way they seem to retain shadow and highlight detail even in harsh light that's most impressive. With a chance a couple of days ago to try another Leica M8 i thought it would be interesting to see how it stacked up to the Canon Zeiss combo. The M8 had the Tri Elmar 16/18/21 on it so i compared the Zeiss 21 and 28 with both cameras at base ISO and both processed in Capture 4.1 my standard processor. After looking at both files as a 50MB 8bit tiff (my required stock filesize) it showed that no amount of AA filterless Leica lens magic was going to make the M8 anywhere near the Canon combo, not even close i'm afraid which is hardly surprising.

Gary.

[tho_mas]

Once the 21mm Contax was tried there was no going back and so i proceeded to try others.[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Here's a nice comparison of Nikon 14-24mm vs. Canon 24mm L vs. Sigma 12-24mm on the 1Ds3 - [a href=\"http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon_14_24mm_1/nikon14_24mm_a.html]http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon_14_24...n14_24mm_a.html[/url]
And here Nikon 12-24 vs. Contax 21 - http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon1424_2...1424_21mm1.html

[eronald]

The new Sony fullframe is going to hit the streets this year, and Sony has been carefully building up a stock of Zeiss glass for it - I think come September there's going to be blood in the water of the Pro SLR pool.

Nikon has hit Canon where it was supreme - good action focus and Hi ISO. Sony is going to kill it in the studio with better hi-rez quality due to better prime lenses. Poor Canon is heading for reduced market share in the pro segment. But we'll always have Paris and the 5D

Edmund

Here's a nice comparison of Nikon 14-24mm vs. Canon 24mm L vs. Sigma 12-24mm on the 1Ds3 - http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon_14_24...n14_24mm_a.html
And here Nikon 12-24 vs. Contax 21 - http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon1424_2...1424_21mm1.html
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215179\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[woof75]

The new Sony fullframe is going to hit the streets this year, and Sony has been carefully building up a stock of Zeiss glass for it - I think come September there's going to be blood in the water of the Pro SLR pool.

Nikon has hit Canon where it was supreme - good action focus and Hi ISO. Sony is going to kill it in the studio with better hi-rez quality due to better prime lenses. Poor Canon is heading for reduced market share in the pro segment. But we'll always have Paris and the 5D

Edmund
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215192\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I wonder if the Sony Zeiss optics will be any good, there are plenty of great names of lenses that make substandard lenses for other people. It'll be interesting to see.

[tho_mas]

I wonder if the Sony Zeiss optics will be any good, there are plenty of great names of lenses that make substandard lenses for other people.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215196\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

They are. 1.4/85 and 1.8/135 are just perfect right from wide open. the 24-70 seems to be excellent as well. wide angle lenses are announced... we will see. And certainly you can mount the Contax lenses as well. But - if needed - just the ZA Zeiss have AF.
If Sony can hit the pro market? I don't know... pros have to answer this question. Production quantity is still somehow small... you have to order and wait as the shops don't have the entire line in stock. But maybe that's just a matter of time...

[Conner999]

While I agree Canon is likely to get a further kick to the seams, which one hopes will 'motivate' them get their act together on QC, WA quality, AF mis-steps), I also agree with the following:

I wonder if the Sony Zeiss optics will be any good, there are plenty of great names of lenses that make substandard lenses for other people. It'll be interesting to see.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215196\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Having owned a number of the Zeiss ZF lenses, they are very, very good, BUT the line is somewhat over-priced for what they deliver in CA control (average - the 50 macro excepted), field curvature in the shorter units and mechanical QC (ugly-stiff focus rings on some 100 ZFs and 85s).

The construction of the units also share a lot of qualities with (and similarities to) the older Cosina-Voigtlander SL line (of which I own two which are excellent). While it bears no impact on their delivery of IQ, to the detriment of many elitist egos, the Zeiss ZF line are, in reality a joint Zeiss/Cosina product.

Sadly comments like the above don't tend to get a polite reception in many places as a bit of Zeiss fan-boyism has worked it's way into many forums.  I tell you, give people an excuse to forum  a clique....

So while I assume a lot of the Sony-Zeiss lenses will be stellar, I do think there will be a premium paid in many cases that has more to do with the name on the front vs. the IQ and QC the name on the front would imply.

Leica would have the same issue is it ever licensed it's designs to others - how far are you willing to let things slide, if at all, for the sake of cash?

[Gary Yeowell]

Conner,

I would agree with you on the ZF line to some extent as whilst trying the alternatives from the ZF line for my 1DS3 i found the 85f1.4 to be lacking both ergonomically and a little optically, too much CA. The 50f1.4 ZF was much better  optically although still a little CA till f2.8, however ergonomically a joy. The Contax Zeiss 21 and 28 are superior in all respects to my eyes, 21mm distortion aside. If it wasn't for the fact that the Contax adapters are a little hit and miss and the Nikon/ZF to Canon adapters i have found are so good, i would probably use Contax for the 50 & 100 focal lengths.  

Gary.

[eronald]

So while I assume a lot of the Sony-Zeiss lenses will be stellar, I do think there will be a premium paid in many cases that has more to do with the name on the front vs. the IQ and QC the name on the front would imply.

Leica would have the same issue is it ever licensed it's designs to others - how far are you willing to let things slide, if at all, for the sake of cash?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215208\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I've seen some of these Zeiss-branded Sony primes, and build quality is very good. I expect optics to be good too, as these lenses have basically just been prepped for release with the fullframe - I don't think many of the crop-series buyers have resorted to them not least because they probably retail for more than the price of those cameras.

 As an aside, the same phenomenon is true in the Canon range where the really good primes eg 35/1.4 or 85/1.2 cost more than a Rebel body.

Edmund

[woof75]

They are. 1.4/85 and 1.8/135 are just perfect right from wide open. the 24-70 seems to be excellent as well. wide angle lenses are announced... we will see. And certainly you can mount the Contax lenses as well. But - if needed - just the ZA Zeiss have AF.
If Sony can hit the pro market? I don't know... pros have to answer this question. Production quantity is still somehow small... you have to order and wait as the shops don't have the entire line in stock. But maybe that's just a matter of time...
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215201\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Is the 24-70 much better than the canon 24-70 L do you know?

[Christopher]

Is the 24-70 much better than the canon 24-70 L do you know?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215238\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That isn't really hard, is it ^^

[Conner999]

Hey Gary,

I normally use Rudolph's (happypagehk) CZ and R adapters but have taken a different tack with Nikon. Use FotodioxPro and ordered some custom-encoded Nikon chips from Rudolph to use on the adapters (CV 90/3.5 APO and 180/4 APO).

On the ZF line - I agree with your assessment. The only ZF unit I'm still interested is possibly a 50/2 macro - but at used prices only.

Cheers

Rob

[Conner999]

Other than some field curvature at 24mm,  the Nikon 24-70 is a barn burner vs the Canon alternatives.

For comparable tests see: www.photozone.de

Is the 24-70 much better than the canon 24-70 L do you know?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215238\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[Gary Yeowell]

Hey Gary,

I normally use Rudolph's (happypagehk) CZ and R adapters but have taken a different tack with Nikon. Use FotodioxPro and ordered some custom-encoded Nikon chips from Rudolph to use on the adapters (CV 90/3.5 APO and 180/4 APO).

On the ZF line - I agree with your assessment. The only ZF unit I'm still interested is possibly a 50/2 macro - but at used prices only.

Cheers

Rob
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215249\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks Rob,

I will have a look for the adapters you suggest. Adapters i have had most success with are the 'Rayqual' Nikon to EOS that Robert White sell which are perfect, and some ebay ones from Hong Kong which will focus past infinity for Contax. I did try the Photodiox (not pro version) for the Contax however it would not focus the lenses past 30ft or so. I would be very interested in trying some old Leica 'R' glass in the 50-90 range as i used to shoot with them with both 'M' and 'R' for years.

Cheers,
Gary.

[tho_mas]

Is the 24-70 much better than the canon 24-70 L do you know?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Me I don't know the Canon nor the 24-70. Just ZA 1.4/85 and the ZA 1.8/135

[a href=\"http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/47-sony-alpha-aps-c/380-zeiss_za_2470_28]http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/47-sony-al...eiss_za_2470_28[/url]
http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27589

[woof75]

Other than some field curvature at 24mm,  the Nikon 24-70 is a barn burner vs the Canon alternatives.

For comparable tests see: www.photozone.de
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215251\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Whats a barn burner?

[woof75]

That isn't really hard, is it ^^
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215242\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I don't understand what you mean?

[Conner999]

"barn burner" weird expression I now -- means excellent or stellar, etc - no idea where expression came from.

Talked to Fotodiox some time ago. Their pro units are essentially Elefoto (sic?) units. Their consumer or non-pro are lower-grade generic units sourced out of some unknown Chinese production shop. Their Nikon and MF PRO adapter (Hassy & Mamiya) are nicely made - but not chipped.

I'll have to look at Rayqual (unless I move to Nikon). CameraQuest units are essentially Kindai adapters - considered the gold standard by many.

Rudolph (HPHK) sources sources his adapters out of from a 3rd party but actually does QC on the input side. He will also custom-encode the chip for the FL and aperture you select for no extra charge. I use him for CZ and Leica R.

[Christopher]

I don't understand what you mean?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=215288\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

24-70 from canon isn't a good lens... Well it is one of the better Canon ones, but still a crappy lens.