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Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:51 pm
by David Kilpatrick
I may not be able to get hold of a NEX-6 or 16-50mm, as they are not really for the markets I'm currently getting paid to write for. But with a 5n, I have been missing the EVF, and could offset the cost of the EVF against the upgrade. But, a NEX-3 I took in P-EX has failed to sell at my local camera shop - down to £250 as a boxed kit with flash and 18-55mm etc.

My only concern with software correction is that I've seen it in several cameras - RX100, Canon G15 etc - and they are usually designed so that whatever the stated focal length is, it more or less applies after correction. The correction degree on the 16-50mm, having seen the uncorrected image, might be strong enough to turn a real 16mm into almost an 18mm - unless it starts out as a semi-fisheye 14.5mm or something, and the correction brings it to a true 16mm (83°) angle.

This is very relevant because the pancake 16mm has pincushion distortion, and the effect of the corrections differs. With barrel distortion, you retain the full angle of view vertically and horizontally, but lose the diagonal angle on which lens view is calculated (rightly or wrongly). With pincushion, you retain the diagonal angle, but lose vertical and horizontal.

So any well-informed comments on the actual view angle differences between uncorrected and corrected 16-50mm, 18-55mm and 16mm pancake will be very welcome.

David

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:59 pm
by kaled_201299
This is exactly the question I had myself when I realised how much correction is being applied by the camera (even in the live view). I have read somewhere the opinion that the lens is actually wider than 16mm, which compensates for the distortion correction necessary, and having used the lens for a few weeks now, my instinct tells me this is the case.
However, I will try and find a few minutes and compare this lens to the 18-55mm and also the 16-85 A-mount.

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:30 am
by kaled_201299
I just did a rather unscientific test and assuming that both the nex-6 and a77 show 100 % fov on the rear screen then I did a comparison. This was done by simply holding both cameras at the same level and anchoring one corner to the same object about 10 feet away. From what I could tell, both lenses produced almost identical fields of view - if anything the 16-50 on the nex was ever so slightly wider - and this is a corrected image that is seen on the back screen

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:52 pm
by David Kilpatrick
That is between the 16-50mm on NEX and the CZ 16-80mm on A77 - right? That certainly could be true, as the A77 also applies in-camera correction for the 16-80mm.

David

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:49 pm
by kaled_201299
You are correct, those are the camera/lens combinations I used.
I wasn't aware that the A77 applied corrections in real time to be seen on the screen. But even if it does, from what I can see both lenses produce similar wide views, which would imply (given the amount of distortion without correction) that the Nex lens is wider than 16mm.

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 10:27 am
by alphaomega
I will try and compare a RAW with Jpeg as I shoot both when I get a minute (assuming correction is not applied to RAW), but in the meantime there is a test at Luminous Landscape of the 10-18mm lens tested on the NEX-5N.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/revie ... _nex.shtml
Conclusion
I believe this small sample of my large number of test images provides a representative overview of what I achieved with this lens. It is the best of the four super wide-angle zooms I've tried, and I consider it a keeper.
Seems to be well liked, but I wonder what he would have written if the NEX-6 had been used as my understanding is that the NEX-5N software is not up-to-date to get best out of this camera/lens combination. I would be tempted to purchase the 10-18 was it not for the extortionate price of £749 here in UK. I will wait for a price reduction plus a Sony £50 rebate. £500 would seem a more reasonable proposition.

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:51 pm
by agorabasta
It would seem that the geometry corrections to apply in-body are actually encoded directly in the lens firmware in case of the Nex system.
E.g., my Nex7 corrects the Sigma 19/30mm lenses perfectly (and always did it so with the original FW), although the lenses came out much later than the first production FW samples of Nex7 were out. Also, the Nex5N corrects the overall geometry for those Sigmas while it is not correcting the CA for them. And the 5N is too old to know too much of those Sigmas; and maybe it uses a different/limited correction data scheme since the CA is not corrected for them.
That all refers to JPEG output only (and to the IDC automatic corrections as well - but, whoever cares!).

The only corrections known to be applied directly to raw (in case of Nex/Alpha) are the 'wide-angle' corrections for purple corners introduced in the latest Nex7 FW update, but these are not the CA/geometry sort of corrections.

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:35 am
by agorabasta
Some kind soul did some testing for the 16-50 FOV and reported the results - http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50379046

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:41 pm
by pakodominguez
artington wrote:
pakodominguez wrote:I'm planning to buy that lens this winter and after that, only a 75 or 100 macro will be missing in my collection.

:-)

Regards

37847
Heard that one before ;)
I was thinking that a good standard zoom is really missing, something in the range and quality of the SAM 28-75 f2.8, In any case, today only that longer Macro lens is missing in my collection... (when the UPS tracking system tell you your package was delivered, you feel so nice...)

Regards

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:03 am
by jeep1
I wonder if we are going to see any more E mount lenses from Sigma soon, the 19 and 30mm must have been a well deserved success for them. A wide prime, say 12mm would be cool and Sigma are also good at ultra wide zooms. But I can't help feeling the enthusiasm for NEX mount lenses has diminished a little with third party makers. The Sony 10-18mm f4 lens looks OK, but I'd still sooner have a 12mm f2.8 prime without having to wait for the no doubt pricey Zeiss. Samyang would also be a contender for a wide E-mount prime, their 8mm NEX fisheye is very sharp across the frame, and they can also produce them in both silver and black!

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:39 am
by alphaomega
A wide prime, say 12mm would be cool and Sigma are also good at ultra wide zooms.
Jeep1, a sharp and small AF E12mm would be just fine for me. Could then dispose of my 16mm pancake and W/A converter.

Re: wide angle for nex6

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 4:45 pm
by alphaomega
Been looking for a while to replace my 16mm pancake plus W/A converter on my NEX system. Was not keen to pay over £700 for the new 10-18mm Sony E mount. found Bristol Cameras with a price delivered of £644 Sony UK stock so placed order yesterday with arrival today. Had a quick tour of Glasgow earlier and must confess that notwithstanding usual distortions expected, this is a remarkably sharp lens. Used my NEX-5N but could also have used my NEX-6. AF was fast and have not seen an image out of focus yet. Praise to Sony for producing this light and compact Zoom.
So that finishes my conversion to NEX for the time being, with a system consisting of
NEX-5N and 6
10-18, 16-50 and 55-210 E mount zooms all in a handy bag.
Will keep my A550/580 with Tamron 10-24, 18-270, 70-300, Sony/CZ 16-80 and 18-250mm zooms for the time being and not forget that jevel of a RX100.
No chance of me moving away from Sony as what I have got can do the job more than adequately.