A900 and 16mm fisheye

[Philip]

A900 and 16mm fisheye f5.6 @ 200ISO, Raw converted by IDC (all camera settings, no alterations)

Philip

larger size and saved as Jpeg level 10 in CS3 here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30723675@N06/2874118213/

(this is the first time I posted photo's, so if it doesn't work please be forgiving, and give help!!!)

[aster]

Looking very good Philip,

The last images I saw online taken with 16mm fisheye on an A900 look outstanding with good vivid colours and sharp details. I heard the performance is not as good with an APS-C dslr's unfortunately, which is rather disappointing.

Thanks for sharing your experience and photo.
Yildiz

[Philip]

I've been waiting for a FF to put this lens on for a while, on my A700 it just looks like a badly corrected wide angle! It is sharp corner to corner on the A900, with little/no CA. I wish I could say the same about my Sigma 12-24, which is OK at 12mm, but by the time you get to about 15mm it is really soft at the edges, and by 24mm has lost it across most of the frame, even stopped down to f11. This is a real shame, as I had high hopes for it. It is useable at 12mm, and I will have to treat it more as a fixed 12mm then a zoom.

Philip

[aster]

Thank you Philip,

This is all invaluable information. I'm glad you've also analyzed the Sigma 12-24 and let us know of its shortcomings on an A900 and in general. The introduction of A900 surely made lens selection harder than before when there were only the APS-C alpha bodies to consider. I'm impressed with the 16mm fisheye's architectural night shots, all clear and sharp with a feeling of tangibility.

Thanks again,
Yildiz

[Dr. Harout]

I think someone here will be real mad for the siggy.
Thanks for the really nice info.

[Philip]

Hi Yildiz and Dr. I was really disappointed that the Siggy didn't hold up across it's zoom range as it compliments my lens line up perfectly and I've found it useful on my A700 as I don't have any DT ultra wide angles. I understand from what is writen on some other forums that there may be a little sample variation in this particular lens, so wouldn't put anyone off buying it, only try it on your camera first and see if you can live ith what you see! As I said I'll keep it, but now I know my examples shortcomings, will use it only at it's widest.

As for the 16mm night shots published eslewhere - what can you say.....

Philip

[Dr. Harout]

Thank you Philip,

This is all invaluable information. I'm glad you've also analyzed the Sigma 12-24 and let us know of its shortcomings on an A900 and in general. The introduction of A900 surely made lens selection harder than before when there were only the APS-C alpha bodies to consider. I'm impressed with the 16mm fisheye's architectural night shots, all clear and sharp with a feeling of tangibility.

Thanks again,
Yildiz

Yildiz, could you please point out where exactly you have seen those night shots?

[aster]

Certainly Dr. Harout,

There are two nice threads; first is the 16mm fish eye and the second is the 24-70 Carl-Zeiss thread. Here they are:

The nightshot of the Bird's Nest by an early owner of the A900 from Beijing with 16mm fisheye F2.8:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=29336608

And the Forbidden city with the new CZ 24-70mm:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=29392900


.

[Dr. Harout]

Many thanks Yildiz,
didn't know that 16mm was rectilinear
Beautiful shots, what else can I say.

[aster]

You're welcome.

And here's what Sony says about this lens:

"The SAL-16F28 is a superb fisheye lens with a look all its own. This unique lens provides a fascinating perspective on landscapes, cities, crowds and special events. With a 180° angle of view and extraordinary corner-to-corner sharpness, this lens achieves crisp, clear detail from about 8 inches to infinity. Mounted on the Sony α (alpha) DSLR-A100 camera, it provides a 110° angle of view with 24mm focal length (35mm equivalent).

A Unique View of the World
With exaggerated perspective and intriguing visual distortion, this fisheye lens brings images closer to the focal plane for a view beyond the ability of human eye.

4 Rotating Filters
Built-in filters can be selected by simply rotating a dial on the lens -- including Normal, 056 for accented contrast in B and W photos, B12 to correct color by eliminating red tones, A12 to correct color by eliminating blue tones."