NEX wide question: 16mm f/2.8 or CV 15/4.5?

[kossi008]

I am still trying to decide whether to buy body only or the kit w/ the 16 mm. The reviews on the 16 haven't been so hot, but does anyone here have both and can give me an opinion?

 

[douglasf13]

One has softness in the very extreme corners at all apertures, and the other has color shift. I picked the former, the Sony 16.

 

[ampguy]

They're both good for landscapes, very little distortion, and I haven't had flare or color shift issues with either (no filters used).

The Sony is faster, and focuses closer, but that closer focus is not always usable, some pretty wild distortion very very close.

Hard to go wrong with either, for wide angle at distances.

 

[bigeye]

I'd go with the CV since you can use it on your ZI.

- Charlie

 

[douglasf13]

Color shift is a pretty well documented issue with the CV 15 on NEX, but it is fixable is Cornerfix. Here is one example:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&message=36464819&changemode=1

 

[tic]

I just got the fish eye converter for the 16/2.8 ($150). Great fun, even more so with video. I was in New York last week, a city made for playing arround with fish eye lenses... 🙂 There is also an ultra wide angle converter that's not fishy eyed. So the 16mm is quite versatile. And of course auto focus is nice to have.

I also have the cv 15, haven't used it much on the Nex yet though.

 

[kossi008]

I'd go with the CV since you can use it on your ZI.

Yes, I've thought of that, and it does tip the balance towards the CV 15/4.5. An ideal excuse to finally get that lens that I always told myself I don't need for the ZI... 😀

In any case, I couldn't resist a quite reasonable offer for a silver Nex-5 body-only, so I'm waiting for the mail now... 😀😀😀

Thanks guys.

 

[cosmonaut]

I have just got a NEX3 with the 16mm, the lens is pretty good. I also own the 15mm.
If it were me I would just get the 16mm. The extra speed for low light shots would out weigh the DOF of the 15mm. As for sharpness I think there is little difference.

 

[kshapero]

Went with the Sony 16mm.

 

[Pablito]

Sony 16mm is the worst lens I own. Corner sharpness is just not acceptable for what I do. I was warned, but could not believe it until I tested for myself.

 

[pvdhaar]

Sony 16mm is the worst lens I own. Corner sharpness is just not acceptable for what I do. I was warned, but could not believe it until I tested for myself.

Maybe you're expecting something different from it than some others here do? Or could it be that you've got a so-so copy that slipped through quality control? I've found the 16 to be a very competent lens. And yes, wide open the corners aren't as sharp as the center, but I doubt that there are a lot of lenses that are at the same time so small and that are loads better. As soon as I close down a bit (f4-ish) the corners catch up. At f4, the 16 is good enough for me that I'm not tempted to exchange it for the 25/4..