The Perfect 50mm
1. Leica Summicron-M 50mm F/2 with Voigtlander VM-E CLose-Focus adapter. This has a lot of appeal for the following reasons:
- Extremely high quality and a sharp lens
- Superb rendering characteristics
- MF even more comfortable with the A7rII than with the Leica M9
- *Real* manual focus throw rather than focus “by wire.”
- Smallest of the 50s but also the heaviest
- A telescoping lens hood is an awesome feature
- The aperture ring on the lens
- $2400 plus $300 adaptor
2. Zeiss Loxia 50 F/2. Also an excellent choice for a manual focus lens. It has the following features:
- Excellent quality/sharpness
- Rendering characteristics unknown. They look good in reviews, but unlikely to be “better” than the Leica.
- Electronically coupled – EXIF data transmitted with the image
- MF zoom is automatic as soon as you start to focus. (On the Leica, it has this function mapped to a custom button – so also not difficult)
- Is a more modern lens technically – even though its design is based on the Zeiss Planar 50mm – first released by Zeiss in 1896 – arguably the most plagiarised lens design of all time.
- The aperture ring is on the lens
- $1300 price
3. Sony/Zeiss 55mm F/1.8. This is the only autofocus lens of the group.
- It is exceptionally sharp and the second sharpest lens available for Sony (GMaster 85mm F/1.4 is #1) according to DXO. Is used for all the Sony cameras in Dpreview tests.
- Zeiss Sonnar *T* optical design and Sony electronics
- The only AF lens in the group, although it can be used in MF with full electronic EXIF and zoom capabilities – just like the Loxia
- The lightest lens in the group – 2 oz lighter than the Loxia and 4 oz lighter than the Leica.
- Slightly faster (1/3 stop) than the Leica or Loxia
- No aperture ring
- $1150
The Wide Angles
Lens Quality Issues
If you look through the online comparisons of the Zeiss and the Sony/Zeiss, you will find that the Sony Zeiss comes out as the sharper lens, and this is confirmed by DxO Labs. The rendering quality on both is unique, but both very good, the Sony/Zeiss lens, however, is autofocus which for some people is very important. For others, this is not necessarily your street lens, and therefore you are more likely to be shooting it in situations where the manual focus will create a better capture.
Loxia Kit
| Cost | |
| A7RIII |
CA$4000
|
| Zeiss Loxia Lens 21mm f 2.8 |
CA$2070
|
| Zeiss Loxia Lens 35mm f2 |
CA$1800
|
| Zeiss Loxia Lens 50mm f2 |
CA$1300
|
| Zeiss Loxia Lens 85mm f2.4 |
CA$2000
|
|
CA$11170
|
Batis Kit
| Cost | |
| A7RIII |
CA$4000
|
| Zeiss Batis Lens 18mm f 2.8 |
CA$2070
|
| Zeiss Batis Lens 25mm f2 |
CA$1800
|
| Zeiss Loxia Lens 85mm f1.8 |
CA$1650
|
| Zeiss Batis Lens 135mm f2.8 |
CA$2740
|
|
CA$12260
|
Sony Kit
So far there is no wide angle GM, so I have substituted a G Master 16-35 instead of a prime wide angle lens.
| Cost | |
| A7RIII |
CA$4000
|
| Sony GM 16-35mm f2.8 |
CA$3000
|
| Sony FE Planar 50mm f1.4 |
CA$1850
|
| Sony GM Lens 85mm f1.4 |
CA$2400
|
| Sony GM Lens 100mm f2.8 |
CA$2050
|
|
CA$13300
|
