Zooms worthy of A7r II sensor

[VirtualRain]

What available zooms in the normal range can enable the sensor in the A7rII to reach full-potential? Any? Or does it require primes to pull off that kind of resolution? Are we waiting on the GM 24-70 f/2.8 to be that zoom?

[VirtualRain]

Sorry... I should have taken a moment to introduce myself. After shooting Canon for the last 6 years, I've just ordered an A7rII and a FE 55mm.  I'm going back to basics to start.  But my primary photography is travel, street, and nature hiking so I'm looking forward to a bit slimmer kit, but realizing I might be looking at an equally honking zoom to get the most out of this sensor. Hence this thread.  I'm wondering if any of the current zooms are up to the task or I really need to wait for the new GM lenses.  Thanks.

[nomad]

Well, the FE 55mm is one of the best 50ish lenses ever made for any system, while the current 24-70 zoom is only so-so.

If you expect something better, you may need to wait for the new ones.

[addicted2light]

If you can live with manual focus (I do) and an adapted lens the Contax Zeiss 28-85/3.5-4 MM is an AMAZING piece of glass, sharper (even by measured MTF charts, not just my impression) than the corresponding Contax fixed focal lengths.

 

It sells from 300 to 350€ usually, and there are plenty of them available.

 

Judging from full size samples seen online it should mop the floor with the Sony Zeiss 24-70/4 at every aperture, center and border.

 

You can see a couple of pics I shot with it on my very first hike with the lens here:

 

http://www.sonyalphaforum.com/topic/1592-pictures-taken-with-sony-alfa-cameras-and-contax-zeiss-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=10308

 

and here:

 

http://www.sonyalphaforum.com/topic/1592-pictures-taken-with-sony-alfa-cameras-and-contax-zeiss-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=10591

 

I use it on the original A7r, and it rarely comes off the camera (essentially only if I need the 300mm, the 18mm or the 60mm macro).

 

It has an 82mm filter ring, but a 77mm filter does not vignette, so you can just buy a step-down (or up? I always mix these up...) ring and be done.

[christer]

The 16-35 f/4 is superb, but it may not be the range you are looking for.

[Guest Colin Scott Johnson]

The 16-35 F4 is a stellar performer on the A7s, A7s II, A7 II and A7r II. Almost as good as the Zeiss Batis 25mm F2 which I also own.

 

The 24-70 F4 was disappointing in the A7s and A7 II.

 

The 70-200 F4 was great on the A7s and A7 II but shows it's limitations on the A7r II. I was rather disappointed with it compared to the Batis 85mm in crop mode (135mm vs. 135mm).

 

The 24-70 G-Master is heavier than the 70-200, which requires a grip to balance correctly on the A7r II.

 

If you are fine with the heft of it, this may be the lens for you.

 

I'll wait for the reviews before I decide if I want one...

[VirtualRain]

Thanks all. I might consider the 16-35 for critical wide shots combined with the 24-240 for the rest of the range and telephoto if it's not absolutely criminal to attach that lens to the A7rII. But I'll probably wait for reviews of the new 24-70 GM before making a final decision.

[VirtualRain]

Another thought that occurred to me just now is that perhaps given the massive resolution of this A7rII, I could think differently (or "different" as apple would say).

 

I could probably go with a pair of primes rather than a zoom.  For example, I could go with the Batis 25 and the Sony 55.  With the flexibility to crop aggressively, the 25 really covers the FoV up to the equivalent of 35-40mm while the 55 can be cropped to the equivalent of 80-85.  So with a pair of stellar primes, I cover from 25-85.

 

The 16-35 plus the 55 could work similarly without needing to crop on the wide end.  This camera really opens up some interesting possibilities I hadn't considered before.

[nomad]

Not a bad idea at all. It's not that often that you really need all those mpx. And one can always move  a step or two…

[Guest Colin Scott Johnson]

@VirtualRain,

 

This is what I do but I use two A7r II bodies one on each side of my body on Luma Labs Loop 3 slings (the best IMHO).

 

I own the 35 F2.8 and 55 F1.8 and one could assume that it would be better to pair the 35 with the Batis 85 or the 55 with the Bais 25, but trust me, the Batis 25 + Batis 85 is an unbeatable combination if you want to travel light and shoot.

I used APS-C mode with this combination, getting 135 with the 85mm and a 19 MP file

 

Here is an example:

 

http://www.sfstreetz.com/p1072024173#h66803375

[VirtualRain]

@VirtualRain,

 

This is what I do but I use two A7r II bodies one on each side of my body on Luma Labs Loop 3 slings (the best IMHO).

 

I own the 35 F2.8 and 55 F1.8 and one could assume that it would be better to pair the 35 with the Batis 85 or the 55 with the Bais 25, but trust me, the Batis 25 + Batis 85 is an unbeatable combination if you want to travel light and shoot.

I used APS-C mode with this combination, getting 135 with the 85mm and a 19 MP file

 

Here is an example:

 

http://www.sfstreetz.com/p1072024173#h66803375

 

 

Wow... your photos are stunning.  Amazing light and good captures.  That's the thing with this sensor... in crop mode you still get more resolution than most crop cameras.  

 

I got my camera delivered today... it seems like I've come out of the stone age and into the modern era.  This A7r II makes my Canon 5D M3 seem like a relic.

[Green Flash]

             I use four lenses regularly. They are tge 1.8 55mm,  the f2 28 mm., also highly recommended especially for the price, the F4 70 to 200 and a Tamron 24-70 F2.8 made for Sony A mount, and with an LAEA 3 adapter.  If you have a really good 24-70 for your canon, then there are excellent canon lens to Sony FE mount adapters you should consider.  

             I have had excellent results with the FE F4 70-200...unlike one of the comments above. 

             I bought the Tamron because I had excellent results with the same lens on my Nikon D750.  It is much better than the Sony F4 24-70, for sharpness, and works good with the IBIS, but in not optimum conditions it does a lot of hunting. It's autofocus doesn't work with Sony's eye focus.

             Cropping from the primes works pretty well, but you won't actually be very happy doing it for very long.  You will want to get all those pixels onto your preferred subject at the time of taking the shot.  I use the primes, mostly when I want the F1.8 for low light situations.  I would like one F1.4 moderately wide. 

[Guest Colin Scott Johnson]

@VirtualRain

 

Yes, that is the great point about the A7r II that many overlook.

APS-C mode gives 18.8 MP at the sharpest part of the lens and can be switched on and off very easily.

I even used it with the 35 F2.8 to get a 50mm

 

The weight of the new G-Master lenses is the BIG issue for me.

The existing 70-200 F4 is 850g and requires the grip to balance correctly on the A7r II.

The 24-70 G F2.8 is 885g and doesn't even have OSS?

The 70-200 G F2.8 is 1480g, which is about the same weight as the Canon 70-200 F2.8 USM II!

 

 

Personally, I'll stick with Zeiss Batis lenses, use two bodies without grips and get better light gathering and IQ to boot, relying on the APS-C crop mode at the flip of a button to cover the middle range.

I spent 3 weeks in Thailand and Laos in January, where those images were shot, and this proved to be the winning combination for me.

[VirtualRain]

@VirtualRain

 

Yes, that is the great point about the A7r II that many overlook.

APS-C mode gives 18.8 MP at the sharpest part of the lens and can be switched on and off very easily.

I even used it with the 35 F2.8 to get a 50mm

 

The weight of the new G-Master lenses is the BIG issue for me.

The existing 70-200 F4 is 850g and requires the grip to balance correctly on the A7r II.

The 24-70 G F2.8 is 885g and doesn't even have OSS?

The 70-200 G F2.8 is 1480g, which is about the same weight as the Canon 70-200 F2.8 USM II!

 

 

Personally, I'll stick with Zeiss Batis lenses, use two bodies without grips and get better light gathering and IQ to boot, relying on the APS-C crop mode at the flip of a button to cover the middle range.

I spent 3 weeks in Thailand and Laos in January, where those images were shot, and this proved to be the winning combination for me.

Recently coming from Canon, lenses that resemble bricks are the norm The heft of Sonys new glass should not be surprising to anyone. Removing the mirror in the body unfortunately doesn't change the optics required to project bright sharp images on high-res full-frame sensors.

 

I like your approach and your images speak for themselves. Maybe one day I'll give that dual body approach a shot. For now though, it's either switching lenses or a zoom for me.

[Green Flash]

            The beauty of the A7rii is the range of possibilities.  When shooting landscapes you can use the biggest lenses and no one cares. When you are shooting people in casual settings, big lenses make people self conscious and affect the subject matter. So the availability of fast very small primes becomes very important. Even cooler,  a couple of them are really good.   But for straight up IQ from a zoom, I think the Tamron 24-70 is a great choice for the money.

[JimmyD]

Agree that the Batis 25mm & 85mm is a killer combo.  Throw the 50mm Loxia f/2 or the 55mm Sony/Zeiss f/1.8 and you have a fabulous threesome.  If you need even longer add the current Leica M 135 f/3.4 or one of the previous, much cheaper f/4 versions.  

[tinplater]

@VirtualRain,

 

This is what I do but I use two A7r II bodies one on each side of my body on Luma Labs Loop 3 slings (the best IMHO).

 

I own the 35 F2.8 and 55 F1.8 and one could assume that it would be better to pair the 35 with the Batis 85 or the 55 with the Bais 25, but trust me, the Batis 25 + Batis 85 is an unbeatable combination if you want to travel light and shoot.

I used APS-C mode with this combination, getting 135 with the 85mm and a 19 MP file

 

Here is an example:

 

http://www.sfstreetz.com/p1072024173#h66803375

Shooting APS-C mode with a full frame lens is just in camera cropping.  Why not just use the entire sensor and crop as you see fit?

[moxford]

Shooting APS-C mode with a full frame lens is just in camera cropping.  Why not just use the entire sensor and crop as you see fit?

 

Composition-at-shot-time and reduced workflow in the post-processing stage?

[IamJF]

For wide you can use the 1635z with great results and for longer the 70200, maybe the new GM if you are into portrait and don't mind the weight (or price :-))

In between sits your 55, so most needs should be fine.

 

And the rest you catch with some primes from the last centuries - they all fit on the sony!

[VirtualRain]

Thanks for all the input.

 

I decided to start out with the Sony 24-240 as a travel/street walk around lens (plus the FE 55 for creative and portrait).

 

I wasn't expecting much, but I'm very impressed with the 24-240 in terms of sharpness and image quality (thanks in part to lens correction I'm sure). The 24-240 may not fully resolve the 42Mpix but it does resolve more detail than my Canon kit (24-70 MkII & 5D MKIII) which is impressive. The corners leave a bit to be desired, but that's usually not an issue for my photos. I need to give it some more time, but so far, the flexibility as a travel/street lens is second to none.

 

I may get laughed out of here for pairing a 10x super-zoom with a 42Mpix sensor, but if anyone else is brave enough to admit to trying this combo, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts.

[dcisive]

Yeah Colin I discovered the APS-C setting early on for a bit longer reach on the lenses. It does an amazing job on the 55mm f1.8 as well. When I had the 24-240 I noted it sharpened up the corners a tad as well since as we know it's cropping out the better portion of the glass. So many tweaks and things to play with on the A7RII. Much more a tool than any other typical camera out there currently. I wimped out and got the 24-70 G Master as most of my shooting is between 35-70mm so it felt right. I too have the 35mm f2.8 Zeiss Sonnar which is  stunningly good. My copy is sharp even wide open across the frame so ideal for a light weight walk around scenario. I won't give up the 55mm f1.8 however as it's still the sharpest lens I've ever tried (including the Loxia or Batis's). I've also noted many people down rating the 70-200G f4 as it's not a f2.8 or supposedly sharp at f4. My copy IS super sharp wide open and by f5.6 super sharp even out to the sides, so I have no complaints about it. I'm VERY hesitant to consider the new 70-300G coming out soon as I don't know if I could trust the long end to be sharp wide open. I'll probably wait to see enough user and professional reviews that would either confirm or deny this. Nevertheless the 24-70 f2.8 G Master will most likely dominate the use on the camera.

[studiov1]

The 16-35 F4 is a stellar performer on the A7s, A7s II, A7 II and A7r II. Almost as good as the Zeiss Batis 25mm F2 which I also own.

 

The 24-70 F4 was disappointing in the A7s and A7 II.

 

The 70-200 F4 was great on the A7s and A7 II but shows it's limitations on the A7r II. I was rather disappointed with it compared to the Batis 85mm in crop mode (135mm vs. 135mm).

 

The 24-70 G-Master is heavier than the 70-200, which requires a grip to balance correctly on the A7r II.

 

If you are fine with the heft of it, this may be the lens for you.

 

I'll wait for the reviews before I decide if I want one...

 

hi, the 85 batis works well in crop mode ? same sharpness?

[Mr_A7s]

As up 4-29-2016, the 24-70 f2.8 GM is the best. I would say it better than the Canon 24-70 II

[pkokity]

@VirtualRain,

 

This is what I do but I use two A7r II bodies one on each side of my body on Luma Labs Loop 3 slings (the best IMHO).

 

I own the 35 F2.8 and 55 F1.8 and one could assume that it would be better to pair the 35 with the Batis 85 or the 55 with the Bais 25, but trust me, the Batis 25 + Batis 85 is an unbeatable combination if you want to travel light and shoot.

I used APS-C mode with this combination, getting 135 with the 85mm and a 19 MP file

 

Here is an example:

 

http://www.sfstreetz.com/p1072024173#h66803375

Hi Colin. Are you talking about the Sony 35/2.8 Sonnar T* FE ZA? I am switching over to the A7Rii trying to get familiar with the Sony lenses.

 

Awesome pictures!

[Don Cornélius]

, but trust me, the Batis 25 + Batis 85 is an unbeatable combination if you want to travel light and shoot.

I used APS-C mode with this combination, getting 135 with the 85mm and a 19 MP file

 

 

Hi Colin and everybody, it’s exactly what i’m also doing, instead that i have only one A7RII (I’m not professional)

I just received the Batis 2,8/18, last week, because sometimes i was too long with my 25, and i’m just waiting for my next travel to « play » again with this fantastic lenses.

Colin: i saw your pictures: great job, very very nice; we love the same subject. (sorry for my bad english, i’m from France)