lens Choice

Discussion of lenses, brand or independent, uses and merits
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ValeryD
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by ValeryD »

classiccameras wrote:According to one review I read, the Tamron 17-50 F/2.8 ( non stabilized version ) is as good as the CZ for less money.
Sorry, but Tamron 17-50 /F2.8 not good as 16-80CZ or 16-50/F2.8

http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/S ... 34_184_734

http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/results.asp
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mikeriach
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by mikeriach »

I do like the centre sharpness of the CZ but find the edges/corners are a little bit soft. It's my preferred APSC walk about lens even if I'd like a little more reach but it's fairly compact for travelling too.
Not used either the Tamron or Sony.

Mike
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

pakodominguez wrote:
sury wrote:Pako,
Thank you for the input and the offer. My wife's nephew did the trip last summer and we are using his trip as guideline.
We are leaving on Friday afternoon from San Francisco to Dallas and a red eye to Lima. 3 hours layer in Lima and then to Cuzco.
Day 1 - acclimatization in Cuzco
this is the hardest part. Take diuretics pills for 2 days before your trip -this will help you to avoid altitude sickness. And take a nap if you have headaches.
sury wrote: Day 2 - Salt Mines tour Maras
Day 3 - Sacred Valley to Aguas Caliente via Olayantombe (train) Ollantaytambo
Day 4 - Machu Pichu/Huayana Pichu
Day 5 - Easy morning and Cuzco tour in PM
Day 6 - Bus to Lake Titicaca
Day 7 - Tour Lake Titcaca and leave for Cuzco from Puno (air)
Day 8 - Nazca lines/Ballastos/Palermo Island
Day 9 - Lima and head out to Airport (flight is at 9PM0
Day 10 - Back in SF and to work

Any recommendations on the travel agent for booking the tours? We heard it is lot cheaper to book in Cuzco than in US.
Contact my friend Gabriela Valdez [email protected] 0115184229456, she will build a package, following the program you already decided, for you r budget -I organized a photo safari to Peru few years ago, I asked her to take us to different places and asked her for 3 stars hotel/transfer/restaurants service. For dinner we usually ate light and I managed to find nice restaurants following the mood of the day. My brother used to take his students to Cusco and he used to ask 2 stars or just "Student class"...
sury wrote: One of the reasons I bought A77M2 is to replace the heavy A900 with lighter body. If I am taking A900, does it make sense
to take A77II too?
Sury
Well, as I told you, your 24mm on APS won't make it. Stitching is a solution, but not necessarily works all the times. So: a wider lens or a FF camera, you use the A77M2 if you need some "reach" and the A900 if you need more room...
Sent an email to Ms. Gabriela Valdez few minutes ago.

Sury
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

Based on the inputs received and my own (recently developed) weakness for Zeiss, I bought a Mint (as claimed by the seller)16-80 and should be arriving (hopefully) today.
a900 + CZ24-70 ~4 lb (~1.8Kg) fast lens
A77M2 + CZ16-80 ~2.4 lb (~1.1Kg) Albeit with a slower lens but similar reach
Since I have time to practice with the latter combo, now it is matter of weight versus quality. If the 16-80 is half as good as 24-70 at f4 (my typical f on 24-70), I should be happy with A77 combo. Is that a reasonable inference? Of course, nothing beats having both as Pako suggested :lol:

Sury
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mikeriach
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by mikeriach »

Just be aware which focus mode you are in.
I found on occasions that the wide setting could select a point in the bottom foreground which was much closer than the intended subject as the frame coverage is so big. I tend to use one of the local groups and use the toggle to move the area around to suit.
the 16-80 is a good range (24-120) so it is a very good walkabout lens and compact.
Mike
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

Thank you Mike. I did not realize the 16-80 are FF equivalent FLs. I thought they are APS-C equivalent since it is DT lens
and hence my comparing with 24-70 as equivalent lenses. Good point about the focus as well. I did get burn couple of times
and have since limited the focus points to 15 and still get tripped. And I thought more focus points is a good thing. :lol:
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mikeriach
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by mikeriach »

When I shoot aircraft I often use a centre group which usually lines up nicely with the fuselage but if you get a formation, sometimes the group ends up in blue sky and you get hunting so for formations I use wide.

On FF I use either the KM 28-75 f2.8 or an old Minolta 28-105 I picked up. The f2.8 has better IQ but I prefer the range of the 28-105. It just depends on what I am going to shoot. To be honest I'd probably choose the 28-105 most of the time for the extra range provided there is reasonable light.

On APSC the 16-80 is equivalent to a 24-120 on full frame. You can use it on FF but it puts the A99 in APSC mode so from memory only 10mp images.
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

Aah, Thank you Mike. I certainly got it backwards. Not the first time nor will be the last time. :lol:
I have A900 so I think it is same or was it 12MP? Anyway that is moot. I do have couple of DT lenses
lying around (kit 18-55 and 18-200). Perhaps they can see the light of the day, one of these days....

Sury
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mikeriach
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by mikeriach »

The 16-80 is much better than the 18-200 over the same focal lengths.
Haven't used a 18-55.
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

Ok. The lens has arrived and the combination is much better weight wise. Tomorrow will take it out for a spin
with A900/24-70 in two and see how they compare side by side for my own edification.

Sury
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

So far, the lens/camera combination is something I am liking. It is no light weight but certainly measurably lighter than
A900/CZ24-70 combination. The question is how much I lose with the slower lens compared to 24-70 and where would I lose?
Mostly inside of cathedrals, I presume, unless it tends to be cloudy and darker due to winter but being sub-equatorial I am presuming
it should be ok to lose 1-2 stops. Is that a reasonable inference?

Sury
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peterottaway
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by peterottaway »

Without going all philosophical on you in like how long is a piece of string ? The lens is basically 2 f stops slower but you then need to add questions of how stable you are as a shooting platform, improvements in camera intelligence in detecting the onset of camera shake and how it responds to it in your particular lighting circumstances. The A77 II has more computer hardware and software and in a sense "knows" the 16-80 lens in ways that the A900 does not "know" the 24-70.

You then need to consider that the same will apply in the A77's auto exposure calculations if you intend not to shoot entirely in manual.

I'm not intending to put the A900 down but the A77 is just a more advanced camera. However you should also read Mike Johnston's article in The Online Photographer comparing his A900 with a new Fuji X-T1.
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

Thank you for that endorsement for A77/16-80 combo Peter. My stability as a shooting platform is a function of
how long I am carrying the camera, how heavy the camera/lens is, and for how long I have been on my feet, and
how much of the backpack I am carrying on my back weighs. All these components have a non-linear effect on me,
based on my past travels. Hence my quest for lightening the equipment. The typical heavy tickets in the past were
70-400 and the HVL58/HVL20 and not to mention my laptop (which often stayed behind at the hotel). If I do away with
the laptop, with 70-400, by perhaps carrying the sigma 70-300 DG APO (it ought be there somewhere) or the beer can,
and not take the laptop, HVL58, I think the heaviest item for me would be the backpack itself. The lens being 2f stops lower
is either relevant or moot depending on the lighting conditions during my visit. That frame of context is what I am looking to
put in place to make a call. BTW, I am not averse to shooting entirely in manual, switch in between.
Thanks for the pointer to the link on the comparison. Will catch up on the article. Am I looking for something specific? Just curious.

Sury
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bfitzgerald
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by bfitzgerald »

Must have missed this one regarding lenses aka Tamron 17-50mm I can say I'm very happy with the lens you can find a site that says the Zeiss is better or the Sony, but photozone say the Tamron is best honestly I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. But having used the Zeiss 16-80mm despite liking the range I wasn't impressed with the mechanics of the lens though 16mm is nice so is F2.8 a lot depends on the line up you have now I have an UWA zoom the 16/17mm argument is a moot point.

I did give a Sony 16-50mm a try I like the SSM and build but optically I don't think it's a better lens than the Tamron but samples vary and there were dodgy copies around at the start (super mushed out corners) not worth losing sleep over if you buy one new and you don't like it send it back is my advice. I did have a dodgy Tamron on Nikon mount once the A and K mount ones were spot on though it happens.
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sury
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Re: lens Choice

Unread post by sury »

It's never too late for great insights or edifying observations Barry. Thank you. As of now, 1680 is in the bag (no pun intended).
Though I admit I was "spoiled" by the CZ2470/2.8 and 135/1.8, this lens is not too bad. I am still getting up to speed on the A77M2
itself. I am on top of focus challenge I had, and now, I am onto the next challenge. Most of my shots are looking fine in the preview
but when I load them on the computer, they are seriously underexposed. Almost all of them (JPEGs) require exposure adjustment.
Since it is systemic, I am thinking it is a purely pilot error in setting something incorrectly. Perhaps my Zebra setting should be at
100+ instead of 95. I see the same even in P mode, not just A, S or M mode.

Sury
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